Okay, buddy, let's talk about saints and blesseds. You know how we have superheroes, right? Like Spider-Man and Wonder Woman? Well, saints are like superheroes too, but they're real people who did really good things while they were alive. And blesseds are people who were really good too, but they haven't been officially made into saints yet.
Now, the 21st century is the time period we are currently living in. So, this chronological list of saints and blesseds in the 21st century talks about good people who have died since the year 2000 and have been recognized for their goodness by the Catholic Church.
Some of these people were bishops or priests, some were nuns or brothers, and some were regular people like you and me. But they all did something amazing that helped others and showed everyone how to be kind and loving.
Here are a few examples of saints and blesseds from the 21st century:
- Saint Pedro Calungsod: He was a young Filipino who lived in the 1600s but was only recently made a saint in 2012. He helped the Jesuit missionaries spread the Catholic faith in Guam and was killed for it. He's now considered the second Filipino saint.
- Saint Gianna Beretta Molla: She was an Italian doctor who died in 1962 but was made a saint in 2004. She was really devoted to her family and her patients, and when she was pregnant with her fourth child, she had to choose between her own life and the life of her baby. She chose to save the baby and died soon after giving birth.
- Blessed Carlo Acutis: He was an Italian teenager who died in 2006 and was beatified (made a blessed) in 2020. He loved computer programming and used his skills to create a website that catalogued all the Eucharistic miracles around the world. He also had a deep faith and taught others about it.
- Blessed Solanus Casey: He was an American friar who died in 1957 but was beatified in 2017. He spent most of his life serving as a doorkeeper at a monastery, greeting people who came to visit and listening to their problems. He became known for his kindness and his prayers, and many people believed he had healing powers.
There are many more saints and blesseds from the 21st century, and their stories are all unique and inspiring. The Catholic Church looks at each person's life and decides if they lived in a way that was truly holy and worthy of being recognized. And by remembering and celebrating these saints and blesseds, we can learn how to be better people ourselves.