Pope Leo XIV Canonizes Seven New Saints, Three Firsts for Two Countries

At St. Peter's Basilica, today, October 19th, Pope Leo XIV has canonized seven new saints: And these are;

Bartolo Longo, Maria Troncatti, Vincenza Maria Poloni, José Gregorio Hernández, Mother María Carmen Rendiles, Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan, Peter To Rot.

Venezuela (Dr. José Gregorio Hernández and Sister María del Carmen Rendiles) and Papua New Guinea (Peter To Rot) will have their first saints in their countries.

Here is a breakdown of the seven new members of the communion of saints

ST. BARTOLO LONGO

Born into a Catholic family in Italy, Bartolo lost his way when his mother died, and eventually descended into satanism.  A Catholic priest reintroduced him to the sacraments, prompting his reversion to Catholicism. He became a Third Order Dominican, but still suffered guilt over his former sinful lifestyle. He found his lifeline by praying the Rosary and dedicated his life to promoting it.

ST. JOSE GREGORIO HERNÁNDEZ

Saint José Gregorio Hernández was a Venezuelan physician, scientist, and devout Catholic. He was known as the "Doctor of the Poor" for providing free medical care and charitable acts. He died in 1919 after being run over by a car while going to get medicine for a sick, elderly woman

ST. IGNATIUS CHOUKRALLAH MALOYAN

An Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin, Saint Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan, was known for his pastoral heart and his commitment to the poor. When the Ottomans entered WWI in 1915, they persecuted Armenian Christians in their territory, eventually resulting in genocide. They arrested Archbishop Maloyan along with hundreds of other Christians. His captors offered him his freedom in exchange for converting to Islam. He refused and died a martyr. He said: “If Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God, was crucified for me, why should I not be ready to die for Him?”

ST. MARÍA CARMEN RENDILES

Saint María Carmen Rendiles, a Venezuelan religious sister, founded the Servants of Jesus, She dedicated her life to serving the poor and Church. She was born without her right arm. Embracing this humbly, she did not let it interfere with serving others. She was known for her deep sense of peace, her trust in God, and promoting devotion to the Eucharist.

ST.. MARIA TRONCATTI

Saint Maria Troncatti, an Italian Salesian missionary nurse, served the Shuar indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. She worked as a nurse, surgeon, dentist, and catechist. She established missions, promoted the dignity of women, and fostered Christian families. In 1969, she died tragically in a plane crash. She said: "A glance at the crucifix gives me the strength and the courage to work."

ST.. PETER TO ROT

Peter To Rot was a lay catechist who was martyred in 1945 for promoting the faith, despite a ban imposed by the Japanese. He firmly defended marriage and the family in the face of widespread polygamy. He ministered to the faithful in secret. He will be the first native Papuan saint.

ST.. VINCENZA MARIA POLONI

As a young girl, Vincenza Maria Poloni devoted herself tirelessly to caring the the elderly and sick. She founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona. She often said:  "The poor are our masters, let us love them and serve them as we would serve Jesus Christ Himself."

Reflecting on the last line of today’s gospel, Pope Leo noted, “Jesus, the Son of God made man, asks about faith: if it disappeared from the world, what would happen? Heaven and earth would remain as before, but there would no longer be hope in our hearts; everyone’s freedom would be defeated by death; our desire for life would fade into nothingness. “

He later asked for their intercession.

"These faithful friends of Christ are martyrs for their faith, like Bishop Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan and catechist Peter To Rot; they are evangelizers and missionaries, like Sister Maria Troncatti; they are charismatic founders, like Sister Vincenza Maria Poloni and Sister Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez; with their hearts burning with devotion, they are benefactors of humanity, like Bartolo Longo and José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros." The pope pleaded

May their intercession assist us in our trials and their example inspire us in our shared vocation to holiness. As we journey towards this goal, let us pray without ceasing, and continue in what we have learned and firmly believe (cf. 2 Tim 3:14). Faith on earth thus sustains the hope for heaven.