Roman Catholic saints of Canada
Encyclopedia
Historically, it was a French priest who accompanied the great explorer Jacques Cartier who said the first ever recorded Holy Mass on Canadian soil on July 7, 1534, on the shores of the Gaspé Peninsula
. It is followed by deliberate conversion of the First Nations
into the fold of Catholicism. Soon after, more and more religious congregations set foot in Canada specially among French-speaking present-day Quebec.
The following are the holy men and women of Canada:
The Canadian Martyrs
also known as the North American Martyrs were eight Jesuit missionaries from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
, who were martyred in the mid-17th century in Canada and upstate New York. They comprised the six Jesuits and two companions missioning to the Hurons during colonial days of New France
. Their canonizations were for having been martyred for their faith. These holy men were canonized by Pope Pius XI
on June 29, 1930. Their feast day is celebrated in Canada on September 26.
Other Saints include:
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
(1620–1700) founded the Congregation of Notre Dame
who are involved in providing Christian education to many parts of the world. She worked tirelessly to ensure the rights and welfare of women and children in New France and to ensure that young people received an education. Marguerite was canonized by Pope John Paul II
on October 31, 1982; her feast day is celebrated in Canada on January 12.
Saint Marguerite d'Youville (1701–1771).This pious woman founded the religious congregation called the Sisters of Charity
, known as the "Grey Nuns." Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1990. Her feast is celebrated on October 16.
Saint André Bessette
, C.S.C.
(French: Frère André, born Alfred Bessette) (August 9, 1845 – January 6, 1937) was a Holy Cross Brother
and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church
among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous
healings
. He was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI
on October 17, 2010. His feast day is January 6.
(Born in 1758, died in 1792).
Born in Montréal.
Martyred in Paris on September 2, 1792
during the French Revolution.
Beatified on October 17, 1926.
Feast celebrated on September 2.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, layperson,
(Born in 1656, died in 1680).
Beatified on June 22, 1980.
Feast celebrated on April 17.
Blessed Marie de l'Incarnation
(Born in 1599, died in 1672).
Founder of the Urselines Sisters in Québec.
Beatified on June 22, 1980.
Feast celebrated on April 30.
Blessed François de Laval
(Born in 1623, died in 1708).
First Bishop of Québec.
Beatified on June 22, 1980.
Feast celebrated on May 6.
Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher
(Born in 1811, died in 1849).
Founder of the Sisters
of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.
Beatified on May 23, 1982.
Feast celebrated on October 6.
Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis
(Born in 1840, died in 1912).
Founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.
Beatified on September 11, 1984 in Montréal.
Feast celebrated on May 4.
Blessed Louis-Zéphirin Moreau
(Born in 1824, died in 1901).
Fourth Bishop of Saint Hyacinthe.
Beatified on May 10, 1987.
Feast celebrated on May 24.
Blessed Frédéric Janssoone, Franciscan
(Born in 1838, died in 1916).
Beatified on September 25, 1988.
Feast celebrated on August 5.
Blessed Catherine de Saint-Augustin
(Born in 1632, Died in 1668).
Founder of the "Hôtel-Dieu" of Québec.
Beatified on April 23, 1989.
Feast celebrated on May 8.
Blessed Dina Bélanger
(Born in 1897, Died in 1929).
Sister of Jesus-Mary, Sillery.
Beatified on March 20, 1993.
Feast celebrated on September 4.
Blessed Marie-Anne Blondin
(Born in 1809, Died in 1890).
Founder of the Sisters of Saint Anne.
Beatified on April 29, 2001.
Feast celebrated on April 18.
Blessed Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin
(Born in 1800, Died in 1851).
Founder of the Sisters of Providence
Beatified on October 7, 2001
Feast celebrated on September 23.
Blessed Bishop Vasyl Velychkovsky
, C.Ss.R., Bishop and Martyr (Ukrainian)
(Born June 1, 1903, Died June 30, 1973).
Appointed as bishop of this underground church in Lviv, Ukraine.
Secretly ordained as Bishop in 1963.
Beatified on June 27, 2001.
Blessed Bishop Nykyta Budka
(Greek-Ukrainian)
(Born June 7, 1877 [Poland], Died October 1, 1949 Soviet concentration camp]).
Ordained on October 25, 1905.
First bishop for Ukrainian Catholics on July 15, 1912 in Canada.
Beatified June 27, 2001 in Ukraine.
Oblate of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1829, died in 1902).
Bishop of Saint Albert, Alberta.
Declared Venerable on December 15, 1966.
Venerable Alfred Pampalon
, Redemptorist,
(Born in 1867, died in 1896).
Declared Venerable on May 14, 1991.
Venerable Élisabeth Bergeron,
(Born in 1851, died in 1936).
Founder of the Sisters of
Saint Joseph, Saint Hyacinthe.
Declared Venerable on January 12, 1996.
Venerable Délia Tétreault,
(Born in 1865, died in 1941).
Founder of the Missionary Sisters
of the Immaculate Conception.
Declared Venerable on December 18, 1997.
Causes Introduced To The Vatican
For Elevation To Sainthood
Jérôme Le Royer de la Dauversière, layperson,
(Born in 1597, died in 1659).
Founder of Montréal and
the welcoming religious of Saint Joseph.
Jeanne Mance, layperson,
(Born in 1606, died in 1673).
Co-founded Montréal and
founder of the "Hôtel-Dieu" of Québec.
Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot, Jesuit,
(Born in 1611, died in 1693).
Companion of the Canadian Martyrs.
Didace Pelletier, religious brother,
(Born in 1657, died in 1699).
Carpenter and Church builder.
Jeanne LeBer, layperson in seclusion,
(Born in 1662, died in 1714).
Rosalie Cadron-Jetté
(Born in 1794, died in 1864).
Founder of the Sisters of Mercy.
Marcelle Mallet
(Born in 1805, died in 1871).
Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Québec.
Élisabeth Bruyère,
(Born in 1818, died in 1876).
Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa.\
Élisabeth Turgeon
(Born in 1840, died in 1881).
Founder of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary, Rimouski.
Marie Fitzbach
(Born in 1806, died in 1885).
Founder of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd of Québec.
Éléonore Potvin,
(Born in 1865, died in 1903).
Co-founded the Servants of Jesus-Mary, Hull,
with Father Alexis-Louis Mangin.
Catherine-Aurélie Caouette,
(Born in 1833, died in 1905).
Founder of the Sisters of Adoration
of the Precious Blood, Saint-Hyacinthe.
Alexis-Louis Mangin, priest,
(Born in 1856, died in 1920).
Co-founded the Servants of Jesus-Mary,
Hull with Éléonore Potvin.
Théophanius-Léo (Adolphe Chatillon),
Brother of the Christian Schools,
(Born in 1871, died in 1929).
Gérard Raymond,
(Born in 1912, died in 1932).
Student in the Little Seminary,
(Petit Séminaire) of Québec.
Ovide Charlebois,
Oblate of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1862, died in 1933).
Bishop of Keewatin, Manitoba.
Marie-Clément Staub, Assumptionist,
(Born in 1876, died in 1936).
Founder of the Sisters of
Saint Joan of Arc and of the Canadian Montmartre.
Eugène Prévost, priest,
(Born in 1860, died in 1946).
Founder of the Sacerdotal Fraternity
and of the Oblates of Bethany.
Antoine Kowalczyk,
brother of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1866, died in 1947).
Louis Émond, layperson,
(Born in 1876, died in 1949).
Co-founded the House of Jesus Carpenter
in Québec with Father Lelièvre of.
Victor Lelièvre,
Oblate of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1876, died in 1956).
Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
Catherine de Hueck Doherty,
(Born in 1896, died in 1985).
Founder of the Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario.
Pauline Archer-Vanier,
(Born in 1898, died in 1991).
"Mamie" of the Arch founded
by her son John (Jean) in Trosly-Breuil, France.
Georges Vanier
,
(Born in 1888, died in 1967).
Governor-General of Canada from 1959 to 1967.
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
. It is followed by deliberate conversion of the First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
into the fold of Catholicism. Soon after, more and more religious congregations set foot in Canada specially among French-speaking present-day Quebec.
The following are the holy men and women of Canada:
The Canadian Martyrs
Canadian Martyrs
The North American Martyrs, also known as the Canadian Martyrs or the Martyrs of New France, were eight Jesuit missionaries from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, who were martyred in the mid-17th century in Canada, in what are now southern Ontario and upstate New York, during the warfare between the...
also known as the North American Martyrs were eight Jesuit missionaries from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first European settlement in what is now the province of Ontario. Eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie were martyred, and were canonized by...
, who were martyred in the mid-17th century in Canada and upstate New York. They comprised the six Jesuits and two companions missioning to the Hurons during colonial days of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. Their canonizations were for having been martyred for their faith. These holy men were canonized by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
on June 29, 1930. Their feast day is celebrated in Canada on September 26.
- St. Jean de BrébeufJean de BrébeufJean de Brébeuf was a Jesuit missionary, martyred in Canada on March 16, 1649.-Early years:Brébeuf was born in Condé-sur-Vire, Normandy, France. He was the uncle of the fur trader Georges de Brébeuf. He studied near home at Caen. He became a Jesuit in 1617, joining the Order...
(1593–1649) - St. Noel Chabanel (1613–1649)
- St. Anthony Daniel (1601–1648)
- St. Charles GarnierCharles Garnier (missionary)Charles Garnier, baptised in Paris on May 25, 1606, was a Jesuit missionary, who was martyred at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons on December 7, 1649....
(1605–1649) - St. Isaac JoguesIsaac JoguesIsaac Jogues was a Jesuit priest, missionary, and martyr who traveled and worked among the native populations in North America. He gave the original European name to Lake George, calling it Lac du Saint Sacrement, Lake of the Blessed Sacrament. In 1646, Jogues was martyred by the Mohawks near ...
(1602–1646) - St. Gabriel LallemantGabriel LallemantSaint Gabriel Lalemant was a Jesuit missionary and one of the eight Canadian Martyrs....
(1610–1649) - St. René GoupilRené GoupilRené Goupil was a French missionary and one of the first North American martyrs of the Roman Catholic Church....
(1607–1642) - St. Jean de LalandeJean de LalandeSaint Jean de Lalande was a Jesuit missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and one of the eight North American Martyrs....
(????-1646)
Other Saints include:
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
Marguerite Bourgeoys
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys was the founder of the Congregation of Notre Dame.- Biography :...
(1620–1700) founded the Congregation of Notre Dame
Congregation of Notre Dame
The Congregation of Notre Dame was founded in 1653 by Marguerite Bourgeoys in Montreal, Canada. This was one of the first non-cloistered communities. The community's motherhouse has continued to be based in Montreal...
who are involved in providing Christian education to many parts of the world. She worked tirelessly to ensure the rights and welfare of women and children in New France and to ensure that young people received an education. Marguerite was canonized by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on October 31, 1982; her feast day is celebrated in Canada on January 12.
Saint Marguerite d'Youville (1701–1771).This pious woman founded the religious congregation called the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
, known as the "Grey Nuns." Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1990. Her feast is celebrated on October 16.
Saint André Bessette
André Bessette
Saint André Bessette, CSC , born Alfred Bessette and since his canonisation sometimes known as Saint André of Montreal, was a Holy Cross Brother and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous healings. He was declared...
, C.S.C.
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
(French: Frère André, born Alfred Bessette) (August 9, 1845 – January 6, 1937) was a Holy Cross Brother
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
and a significant figure of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
among French-Canadians, credited with thousands of reported miraculous
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
healings
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
. He was canonised by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on October 17, 2010. His feast day is January 6.
The Canadian Blesseds
Blessed André Grasset, Sulpician(Born in 1758, died in 1792).
Born in Montréal.
Martyred in Paris on September 2, 1792
during the French Revolution.
Beatified on October 17, 1926.
Feast celebrated on September 2.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, layperson,
(Born in 1656, died in 1680).
Beatified on June 22, 1980.
Feast celebrated on April 17.
Blessed Marie de l'Incarnation
(Born in 1599, died in 1672).
Founder of the Urselines Sisters in Québec.
Beatified on June 22, 1980.
Feast celebrated on April 30.
Blessed François de Laval
(Born in 1623, died in 1708).
First Bishop of Québec.
Beatified on June 22, 1980.
Feast celebrated on May 6.
Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher
(Born in 1811, died in 1849).
Founder of the Sisters
of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.
Beatified on May 23, 1982.
Feast celebrated on October 6.
Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis
(Born in 1840, died in 1912).
Founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.
Beatified on September 11, 1984 in Montréal.
Feast celebrated on May 4.
Blessed Louis-Zéphirin Moreau
(Born in 1824, died in 1901).
Fourth Bishop of Saint Hyacinthe.
Beatified on May 10, 1987.
Feast celebrated on May 24.
Blessed Frédéric Janssoone, Franciscan
(Born in 1838, died in 1916).
Beatified on September 25, 1988.
Feast celebrated on August 5.
Blessed Catherine de Saint-Augustin
(Born in 1632, Died in 1668).
Founder of the "Hôtel-Dieu" of Québec.
Beatified on April 23, 1989.
Feast celebrated on May 8.
Blessed Dina Bélanger
(Born in 1897, Died in 1929).
Sister of Jesus-Mary, Sillery.
Beatified on March 20, 1993.
Feast celebrated on September 4.
Blessed Marie-Anne Blondin
(Born in 1809, Died in 1890).
Founder of the Sisters of Saint Anne.
Beatified on April 29, 2001.
Feast celebrated on April 18.
Blessed Émilie Tavernier-Gamelin
(Born in 1800, Died in 1851).
Founder of the Sisters of Providence
Beatified on October 7, 2001
Feast celebrated on September 23.
Blessed Bishop Vasyl Velychkovsky
Vasyl Velychkovsky
Blessed Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsky was a priest, and later bishop, of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church .In 1920 he entered the seminary in Lviv...
, C.Ss.R., Bishop and Martyr (Ukrainian)
(Born June 1, 1903, Died June 30, 1973).
Appointed as bishop of this underground church in Lviv, Ukraine.
Secretly ordained as Bishop in 1963.
Beatified on June 27, 2001.
Blessed Bishop Nykyta Budka
Nykyta Budka
Blessed Nykyta Budka was a clergyman of the of Ukrainian Catholic Church who lived and worked in Austria-Hungary, Canada, Poland, and the Soviet Union. In Canada he is noted as the first bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada...
(Greek-Ukrainian)
(Born June 7, 1877 [Poland], Died October 1, 1949 Soviet concentration camp]).
Ordained on October 25, 1905.
First bishop for Ukrainian Catholics on July 15, 1912 in Canada.
Beatified June 27, 2001 in Ukraine.
The Canadian Venerables
Venerable Vital Grandin,Oblate of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1829, died in 1902).
Bishop of Saint Albert, Alberta.
Declared Venerable on December 15, 1966.
Venerable Alfred Pampalon
Alfred Pampalon
Alfred Pampalon was born in the city of Lévis, Quebec, and died at 28 in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. He was a Redemptorist priest known for having a deep faith in God and a deep love of Mary...
, Redemptorist,
(Born in 1867, died in 1896).
Declared Venerable on May 14, 1991.
Venerable Élisabeth Bergeron,
(Born in 1851, died in 1936).
Founder of the Sisters of
Saint Joseph, Saint Hyacinthe.
Declared Venerable on January 12, 1996.
Venerable Délia Tétreault,
(Born in 1865, died in 1941).
Founder of the Missionary Sisters
of the Immaculate Conception.
Declared Venerable on December 18, 1997.
Causes Introduced To The Vatican
For Elevation To Sainthood
Jérôme Le Royer de la Dauversière, layperson,
(Born in 1597, died in 1659).
Founder of Montréal and
the welcoming religious of Saint Joseph.
Jeanne Mance, layperson,
(Born in 1606, died in 1673).
Co-founded Montréal and
founder of the "Hôtel-Dieu" of Québec.
Pierre-Joseph-Marie Chaumonot, Jesuit,
(Born in 1611, died in 1693).
Companion of the Canadian Martyrs.
Didace Pelletier, religious brother,
(Born in 1657, died in 1699).
Carpenter and Church builder.
Jeanne LeBer, layperson in seclusion,
(Born in 1662, died in 1714).
Rosalie Cadron-Jetté
(Born in 1794, died in 1864).
Founder of the Sisters of Mercy.
Marcelle Mallet
(Born in 1805, died in 1871).
Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Québec.
Élisabeth Bruyère,
(Born in 1818, died in 1876).
Founder of the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa.\
Élisabeth Turgeon
(Born in 1840, died in 1881).
Founder of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary, Rimouski.
Marie Fitzbach
(Born in 1806, died in 1885).
Founder of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd of Québec.
Éléonore Potvin,
(Born in 1865, died in 1903).
Co-founded the Servants of Jesus-Mary, Hull,
with Father Alexis-Louis Mangin.
Catherine-Aurélie Caouette,
(Born in 1833, died in 1905).
Founder of the Sisters of Adoration
of the Precious Blood, Saint-Hyacinthe.
Alexis-Louis Mangin, priest,
(Born in 1856, died in 1920).
Co-founded the Servants of Jesus-Mary,
Hull with Éléonore Potvin.
Théophanius-Léo (Adolphe Chatillon),
Brother of the Christian Schools,
(Born in 1871, died in 1929).
Gérard Raymond,
(Born in 1912, died in 1932).
Student in the Little Seminary,
(Petit Séminaire) of Québec.
Ovide Charlebois,
Oblate of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1862, died in 1933).
Bishop of Keewatin, Manitoba.
Marie-Clément Staub, Assumptionist,
(Born in 1876, died in 1936).
Founder of the Sisters of
Saint Joan of Arc and of the Canadian Montmartre.
Eugène Prévost, priest,
(Born in 1860, died in 1946).
Founder of the Sacerdotal Fraternity
and of the Oblates of Bethany.
Antoine Kowalczyk,
brother of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1866, died in 1947).
Louis Émond, layperson,
(Born in 1876, died in 1949).
Co-founded the House of Jesus Carpenter
in Québec with Father Lelièvre of.
Victor Lelièvre,
Oblate of Mary Immaculate,
(Born in 1876, died in 1956).
Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
Catherine de Hueck Doherty,
(Born in 1896, died in 1985).
Founder of the Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario.
Pauline Archer-Vanier,
(Born in 1898, died in 1991).
"Mamie" of the Arch founded
by her son John (Jean) in Trosly-Breuil, France.
Georges Vanier
Georges Vanier
Major-General Georges-Philéas Vanier was a Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation....
,
(Born in 1888, died in 1967).
Governor-General of Canada from 1959 to 1967.