Catholic Saints: What is a Saint? How Does One Become a Saint?

Saint Valentine: Christian Martyr & Christian Basis for Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, a popular secular and commercial holiday, was originally a Christian feast day celebrating the martyrdom of a Christian saint named Valentine. Unfortunately, his life has been largely lost to history and it's no longer clear precisely what he did. In fact, it's not clear who exactly he was because there were at least three...

Saints & Sainthood: Origin and Nature of Saints in Christianity
The label saint is given to any person who is regarded as being 'holy.' Early in the history of the Christian Church, the term saint was applied only to those who were martyrs to the Christian faith. When a martyr died, the body would be placed in a special tomb which believers could continue to visit in the hopes of obtaining some blessing....

Saint Patrick: Profile and Biography of Saint Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland
Bishop and apostle to Ireland, Patrick came from a highly religious family in Britain (his father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest) who spent time as a slave among pagan raiders. After his ordination, he dedicated himself to evangelize northern Ireland from Armagh, where he may have run a school. He is sometimes portrayed as a monk, but...

Saint Agnes of Rome: Profile and Biography of Catholic Saint Agnes of Rome
We have no reliable information about the birth, life, or death of Agnes. Despite this, she is one of Christianity's most popular saints. Christian legend has it that Agnes was a member of Roman noble family and raised to be a Christian. She became a martyr at the age of 12 or 13 during the persecution of Christians under the reign of emperor...