A Saint of Our Own

“Offers an erudite scholarly history of canonization of American exemplars of holiness, and why it is important to American Catholics.”—CHOICE

“As Cummings shows in intricate detail, canonization is painstaking work that requires labor, money, miracles, investigations and no small amount of luck. . . . Our future saints, some of whom have already passed beyond the veil, will disclose to us as much about ourselves and our church as they will about their own heroic virtue.”—America Magazine

“Offers a substantial contribution to understanding U.S. religion, hagiographical developments, and the shifting priorities of the Catholic faithful. It takes up a relatively unexplored topic, providing an astute and interesting analysis of the evolution of U.S. saint-seeking from the early twentieth century to today.”—Catholic Historical Review

“Astute and lively. . . . The work’s gracefully interwoven stories and analysis illuminate individual personalities, religious communities, and the transformations of 'U.S. Catholics' understanding of themselves both as members of the church and as citizens of the nation'. . . . A wonderful feat of historical imagination.”—American Catholic Studies

“This book does more than tell the story of American men and women who have been canonized by the Church since the nineteenth century. The author also relates the unique aspects of the canonization process woven within the story of an immigrant Church becoming aware of its role in the totality of the universal Church.”—Catholic Library World

“A fascinating account of American Catholics' persistent efforts to secure a national saint. . . . [Cummings] deftly weaves her transnational story of American Catholic saint-seeking using a phenomenal range of sources. . . . Her engaging narrative draws the reader into the complexities of the process, the importance of Vatican connections and papal prerogative, the vagaries of individuals assigned to causes, and the evolving understanding of sanctity in the twentieth century.”—Theological Studies

“Seton’s journey to canonization was a long one, and in Cummings’s hands it is a fascinating study in the intersection of piety and power.”—Commonweal

“Proves that the story of the Catholic Church in America continues to be a rich and illuminating one. . . . A Saint of Our Own takes a process that is often mysterious and confusing even to Catholics—canonization—and uses it explore how the experiences, status, and values of Catholics in the United States changed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as how American Catholics have disagreed with one another about what it means to be Catholic. . . . A fascinating story.”—American Historical Review

“A Saint of Our Own would be an excellent choice for a course on American Catholicism. . . . By showing how stories about holy people function to define questions of polity and identity, this book points squarely to key themes of American Catholic historiography.”—The Journal of Religion

“A superb book: deeply researched, consistently interesting, and beautifully written. Kathleen Sprows Cummings makes history come alive with sparkling prose and surprising insights. Her fascinating study of the lives of some of the most remarkable Catholics in history, and the (often labyrinthine) stories of their canonizations, is a must for every American Catholic—and anyone interested in religion in America.”—James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage and The Jesuit Guide