International Saints

St. Andrew Kim Taegon

Joseon Dynasty (Korea)

The first Korean Catholic priest and patron saint of Korean clergy. Born into the Yangban class, Kim’s parents were converts, and his father, uncles, and grandfathers were later martyred for practising Christianity, which was illegal in the highly Confucian society of Korea. After receiving baptism at 15, Kim pursued his studies at a seminary in the Portuguese colony of Macau.

He was ordained in China and went back to Korea to spread the gospel during the Joseon era, a time when Catholicism faced significant repression, leading many followers, including Andrew Kim, to endure persecution. He was eventually arrested, tortured, and beheaded near Seoul, the capital city of present-day South Korea.

Born: 1821
Died: 1846 (aged 25)
Feast Day: 20th of September
Canonised: 1984 by Pope John Paul II

St. Anthony of Padua

Portugal

Noted by his contemporaries for his powerful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion to the poor and the sick, he was one of the most quickly canonised saints in church history, being canonised less than a year after his death.

Born: 1195
Died: 1231 (aged 35)
Feast Day: 13th of June
Canonised: 1232 by Pope Gregory IX

St. Augustine of Hippo

 Numidia, Roman Empire (Algeria)

Augustine was a philosopher and theologian of Berber descent who served as the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, located in Roman North Africa. His writings played a significant role in shaping Western philosophy and Christianity, and he is regarded as one of the most influential Church Fathers of the Latin Church during the Patristic Period. Among his many notable works are The City of God, On Christian Doctrine, and Confessions.

Numidia was an ancient realm that encompassed the area of modern-day Algeria, but it later grew to include parts of what we now call Tunisia and Libya.

Born: 354
Died: 430 (aged 75)
Feast Day: 28th of August
Canonised: Pre-Congregation

St. Bernadette of Lourdes

France

Renowned for witnessing apparitions of the Immaculate Conception (The Virgin Mary), who requested the construction of a chapel at a nearby cave grotto, these sightings occurred between the 11th of February and the 16th of July 1858. Following a canonical investigation, Soubirous’s accounts were deemed legitimate on the 18th of February 1862, and the Marian apparition became recognised as Our Lady of Lourdes.

The cave where the apparitions were reported later emerged as a significant pilgrimage destination and Marian shrine known as the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, drawing approximately five million pilgrims from various denominations yearly.

Born: 1844
Died: 1879 (aged 35)
Feast Day: 16th of April
Canonised: 1933 by Pope Pius XI

St. Mother Cabrini

Lombardy-Venetia, Austrian Empire (Italy)

Frances Xavier Cabrini, commonly referred to as Mother Cabrini, was born in Lombardy-Venetia during the time of the Austrian Empire and was the first U.S. citizen to be canonised as a saint by the Catholic Church. She arrived in the United States from what is now Italy, making her entry into New York City, and subsequently founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Throughout her life, she established schools, orphanages, and hospitals across the U.S. and South America. She is recognised as the patron saint of immigrants.

Born: 1850
Died: 1917 (aged 67)
Feast Day: 13th of November (USA, 1961 to date). 22nd of December (elsewhere)
Canonised: 1946 by Pope Pius XII

St. Charles Lwanga and St. Kizito

Uganda

Saint Charles Lwanga and Saint Kizito are two of the most revered martyrs in Uganda. Both were young Christian converts in the court of King Mwanga II of Buganda. Charles Lwanga, the older of the two, was a catechist and leader who guided other Christian pages in the royal service. When King Mwanga demanded that they renounce their Christian faith, Charles and his companions refused.

Among them was Saint Kizito, a 13-year-old boy who, despite his youth, remained firm in his faith. Both were arrested, tortured, and executed by burning or beheading for refusing to abandon Christianity. Their courage in the face of persecution made them icons of faith, are commemorated as martyrs and patrons of Uganda and young Christian witnesses.

St. Charles Lwanga
Born: 1860
Died: 1886 (aged 26)
Feast Day: 3rd of June
Canonised: 1964 by Pope Paul VI

St. Kizito
Born: 1872
Died: 1886 (aged 13–14)
Feast Day: 3rd of June
Canonised: 1964 by Pope Paul VI

St. Constantine the Great

Moesia, Roman Empire (Serbia)

An emperor from 306 to 337 AD, Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a pivotal role in elevating the status of Christianity in Rome, decriminalising Christian practice and ceasing Christian persecution in a period referred to as the Constantinian shift. This initiated the Christianisation of the Roman Empire. He founded the city of Constantinople and made it the capital of the Empire, which remained so for over a millennium.

Constantine was born in the city of Naissus from the Roman province of Moesia, an area in the Balkans that encompasses parts of modern-day Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania.

Born: 272
Died: 337 (aged 65)
Feast Day: 21st of May
Canonised: Pre-Congregation

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Province of New York, British America (United States of America)

A Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator recognised as a pioneer of the nationwide parochial school system. Originating from New York and raised in the Episcopal faith, she married her spouse, William Seton, and they had five children together. Two years following his passing, she converted to Catholicism in 1805.

Seton launched the first Catholic school for girls in the country, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Additionally, she established the first American congregation of religious sisters, known as the Sisters of Charity. After her passing, Seton became the first individual born in what would later be the United States of America to be canonised by the Catholic Church.

Born: 1774
Died: 1821 (aged 46)
Feast Day: 4th of January
Canonised: 1975, by Pope Paul VI

St. Francis of Assisi

Italy

In 1219, he travelled to Egypt to try to convert Sultan al-Kamil and bring an end to the conflict associated with the Fifth Crusade. In 1223, he organised the first live nativity scene as part of the Christmas celebrations in Greccio. According to Christian tradition, in 1224, Francis experienced the stigmata during a vision of a Seraphic angel.

Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. It became a tradition for churches to hold blessings for animals on his feast day of October 4th, now recognised as World Animal Day. He was known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist. He was declared the patron saint of Italy and is also the namesake of San Francisco, a city in America.

Born: 1181
Died: 1226 (aged approx. 44)
Feast Day: 4th of October
Canonised: 1228 by Pope Gregory IX

St. Francis Xavier

Spain

Recognised as one of the most significant missionaries of the Catholic Church and a co-founder of the Jesuit order, Francis Xavier spread Christianity throughout Asia, particularly in India, Japan, and the Maluku Islands. His missionary work is noted for its emphasis on adapting to local cultures and languages.

St. Francis Xavier is also celebrated for his unwavering commitment to his faith, compassion for the indigenous peoples he encountered, and dedication to education. He was canonised by the Catholic Church in 1622 and is the patron saint of missionaries.

Born: 1506
Died: 1552 (aged 46)
Feast Day: 3rd of December
Canonised: 1622 by Pope Gregory XV

St. George

Cappadocia, Roman Empire (Turkey)

St. George was a soldier in the Roman army. He was of Cappadocian (present-day Turkey) and Greek origin. He became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, but he was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. Saint George became one of the most venerated saints and heroes in Christianity. He has been especially venerated as a military saint since the time of the Crusades.

Born: 3rd century
Died: 303
Feast Day: 23rd of April
Canonised: Pre-Congregation

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Spain

A former soldier, Ignatius experienced a profound transformation after the fierce Battle of Pamplona on the 20th of May 1521. During this tumultuous conflict, he sustained severe injuries from a cannonball, which shattered his right leg and altered the course of his life. Following his recovery, he dedicated himself to religious pursuits, eventually becoming a priest and a respected theologian.

In 1534, he took a monumental step by founding the Jesuit order, which would go on to play a pivotal role in the Counter-Reformation, making him one of the most influential figures of that era.

Born: 1491
Died: 1556 (aged 64)
Feast Day: 31st of July
Canonised: 1622 by Pope Gregory XV

St. Joan of Arc

France

Joan of Arc was a young peasant girl from France, born around 1412. She asserted that she experienced visions and heard voices from saints directing her to support Charles VII and lead France to victory during the Hundred Years’ War against England. In 1429, she played an essential role in lifting the siege of Orléans, significantly uplifting French morale.

Later, she assisted in the coronation of Charles VII at Reims. However, in 1430, she was captured by the Burgundians, who were allies of the English, and sold to them. Joan was tried for heresy and witchcraft, found guilty, and executed by burning at the stake in 1431 at the age of 19.

Joan of Arc is the patron saint of France, soldiers, and prisoners.

Born: 1412
Died: 1431 (aged approx. 19)
Feast Day: 30th of May
Canonised: 1920 by Pope Benedict XV

St. John Paul II

Poland

The first non-Italian pope in 455 years, he travelled extensively abroad to promote greater understanding between countries and religions. He campaigned against political oppression, violence, and materialism. He is credited with helping to end communist rule in his native Poland and the rest of Europe and survived an assassination attempt in 1981.

Born: 1920
Died: 2005 (aged 84)
Feast Day: 22nd of October
Canonised: 2014 by Pope Francis

St. Josephine Bakhita

Sultanate of Darfur (Sudan)

Born in the pre-colonial state of the Sultanate of Darfur (present-day Sudan), Josephine was captured and sold into slavery at 7–8 years of age. ‘Bakhita’ was not the name she received from her parents at birth. It is said that the trauma of her abduction caused her to forget her original name; she took one given to her by the slavers.

She was eventually freed and brought to Italy, where she found refuge in a convent, converted to Christianity and became a nun with the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Italy.

She is remembered for her deep faith and remarkable story of suffering, forgiveness, and joy. Saint Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of Sudan and victims of human trafficking.

Born: 1869
Died: 1947 (aged 77–78)
Feast Day: 8th of February
Canonised: 2000 by Pope John Paul II

St. Juan Diego

Tenochtitlan, Aztec Empire (Mexico)

Juan Diego, an indigenous man from the Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico, is renowned for his encounters with the Virgin Mary in 1531 near Mexico City on Tepeyac Hill. She asked him to tell the bishop to build a church in her honour. Initially met with scepticism, the bishop was convinced when Juan Diego presented roses blooming in December and revealed a miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe imprinted on his tilma. This event significantly advanced the spread of Catholicism in the region.

Born: 1474
Died: 1548 (aged 73–74)
Feast Day: 9th of December
Canonised: 2002 Pope John Paul II

St. Monica

 Numidia, Roman Empire (Algeria)

Monica was the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She is venerated in the Catholic Church for her remarkable Christian virtues, particularly the pain stemming from her husband’s infidelity, along with her devoted prayer life dedicated to the reformation and conversion of her then-troubled son, who extensively documented her virtuous deeds and their life together in his work, Confessions.

She is frequently called upon as the patron saint of mothers, wives and people suffering under difficult circumstances.

Born: 332
Died: 387 (aged 55)
Feast Day: 4th of May
Canonised: Pre-Congregation

St. Nicholas of Myra/Bari

Lycia et Pamphylia, Roman Empire (Turkey)

Nicholas was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya Province, Turkey) during the time of the Roman Empire. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. 

His reputation evolved among the pious, as was common for early Christian saints, and his legendary habit of secret gift-giving gave rise to the folklore of Santa Claus (“Saint Nick”) through Sinterklaas.

Born: 270
Died: 343 (aged 73)
Feast Day: 6th of December
Canonised: Pre-Congregation

St. Paul Maki

Japan