Saints across the States: The only 11 Catholic saints canonized for their work ... trends now

After thousands of faithful believers flocked to an abbey in Missouri to see the remarkably preserved remains of a Catholic nun who died four years ago, some are suggesting is a sign she should be considered for sainthood.

Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, who died in 2019, has not yet reached the required minimum of five years since death for the Catholic Church's lengthy and complex sainthood process to begin.

Still, the incident is drawing attention to the history of sainthood in the US. In all, there are only 11 Catholic saints who have been canonized for their work in what is now the United States. 

Lancaster founded the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles religious order in Gower, Missouri, and died four years ago at age 95. 

The nuns of the order say that Lancaster's body was being reinterred to make way for a construction project, and that they had only expected to find bones, because she had been buried in a simple wooden coffin without any embalming.

Instead, they discovered an intact body and 'a perfectly preserved religious habit,' the order's statement said. The nuns hadn't meant to publicize the discovery, but someone shared a private email publicly and 'the news began to spread like wildfire.' 

Lancaster's body was placed in a glass shrine in the abbey's church on Monday, with Catholic News Agency reporting an estimated 1,000 cars arrived for the ceremony. 

The local diocese said it will investigate, but warned that Lancaster's remains should not be venerated or treated as relics in the meantime.

'The Church has an established process for determining if someone is a saint and worthy of veneration. No such process has yet been initiated on behalf of Sister Wilhelmina,' said Kansas City Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. in a statement. 

Though the relative preservation of Lancaster's body has drawn intense interest from the faithful, experts say that it is not unheard of for human remains to stay relatively intact for years, even without embalming. 

The Catholic canonization process requires an investigation into the candidate's life and death, to determine whether they were either martyred or lived a virtuous life.

Following the investigation at the diocese level, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints examines the report and makes a recommendation to the pope, who may then declare the person 'Venerable'.

The next step, in which the pope declares the person 'Blessed', requires at least one miracle attributed to the person by church investigators. A second miracle is required to be elevated from 'Blessed' to 'Saint'.

Here are the 11 people who have been canonized as saints for their work in the lands that are now part of the United States: 

Saint Isaac Jogues, 1607-1646 

Feast day: October 19 

Jogues, a French missionary, is the patron saint of the Americas and Canada.

A Jesuit priest who was ordained in 1636, he traveled to the French colonies in North America in a bid to convert Native Americans to Christianity.

In 1642, he was captured and tortured by Mohawk Indians near present-day Auriesville, New York, and watched as other members of his party were put to gruesome deaths.

After more than a year of captivity, he escaped and returned to France aboard a Dutch ship. Despite his ordeal, Jogues volunteered to return to the New France territory as an emissary to broker peace with his former captors. 

'My heart tells me that, if I am the one to be sent on this mission, I shall go but I shall not return. But I would be happy if our Lord wished to complete the sacrifice where he began it,' he explained in a letter. His prediction was correct, and he was killed with a tomahawk in 1646. 

Jogues was canonized a saint in 1930 by Pope Pius XI. 

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656-1680

Feast day: July 14 

Tekakwitha was born in a Mohawk village located in what is today New York state, and was orphaned at the age of four when her parents died of smallpox.

She converted to Catholicism at age 19, and took a vow of perpetual virginity. 

Tekakwitha moved to a small Jesuit village near present-day Montreal and lived out her remaining years there before dying age 24.

Tekakwitha was canonized a saint in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Saint Junípero Serra, 1713-1784  

Feast day: July 1

Serra was a Spanish Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order. 

He led a group that founded missions in what is today Mexico and California.

His canonization faced protests from Native American groups, who argued that he led a brutal campaign of subjugation.

Serra was canonized a saint in 2015 by Pope Francis.

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, 1769-1852

Feast day: November 18

Duchesne was a French religious

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