Modern Saints and Blesseds of the Catholic Church

For 2,000 years, men and women have been following Christ. Since 1900, the Catholic Church has recognized over 650 of them as Saints and many others had been Beatified. Most of these canonizations and beatifications were done during the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II. Here are the stories of some of those canonized and beatified since 1900. Saints serve as role models for living the Gospel and following in the example of Christ. They come from all walks of life, time periods and nationalities since the time of Christ. With such a geographic, spatial and cultural diversity, one can see the innumerable ways in which Christ's message of faith and love can be lived under a wide diversity of circumstances. In this book are short biographies about sixty-seven extraordinarily holy men and women who devoted their lives to serving the Thrice-Holy God, the Catholic Church and humanity. Forty-nine of them have been declared Saints while the remaining eighteen are still under evaluation for that honor. They represent a broad diversity of historical eras, cultures and ethnicities. Their common bond, however, is love and faith. Each has taken the Gospel message of Our Savior and put it into practice for the betterment of our world. Many of these men and women you will recognize as they have become a familiar part of the Catholic faith. These include Saint Pope John Paul II, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Bernadette, and Saint Pio. Others like Saint Peter de Betancurt, Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, Blessed Frederick Ozanam, and Saint Josephine Bakhita lived no less holy lives but have not received widespread attention. Each in their own way presents an inspiring example of faith in Christ lived.