Saints, Martyrs, and Heroes
Saints, Martyrs, and Heroes are ordinary individuals who provide us with role models and examples of how to live as disciples in a complex world. By learning about their lives and paying attention to their example, we can draw strength for our journey of faith as we strive to bring about the vision of love, justice, and peace.
Discover inspiring resources that highlight the lives of saints, martyrs, and heroes who embodied the values of Catholic Social Teaching. These extraordinary individuals serve as role models of faith, justice, and compassion, offering profound examples of how to live out the Gospel in service to others and the common good.
On this page, you’ll find:
- Profiles of Saints and Martyrs: Stories of holy men and women who championed human dignity, social justice, and peace in their lives and missions.
- Faith-Based Reflections: Prayers and meditations inspired by the actions and legacies of saints who upheld the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
- Educational Resources: Lesson plans and activities exploring the connection between the lives of these saints and the Church’s call to promote justice, solidarity, and care for creation.
- Multimedia Content: Videos, articles, and infographics that bring to life the enduring impact of saints and holy people who worked tirelessly for the poor, marginalized, and oppressed.
- Advocacy Inspiration: Tools and examples of how the lives of saints can inspire modern acts of faith-based advocacy and justice.
These resources offer a meaningful way to explore the practical application of Catholic Social Teaching through the lives of those who have gone before us. Perfect for educators, faith leaders, and advocates, they serve as powerful tools for fostering a deeper understanding of the Catholic Church’s social tradition and a call to action in today’s world.
Chico Mendes was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader, environmentalist, and martyr. This film highlights Mendes’s work to end the destruction of the Amazonian rain forest and to organize...
This artistic reflection demonstrates the ways we can understand and live out mercy as the Jubilee Year comes to its conclusion. This reflection uses images set to the song, “Deep Within,”...
This prayer service includes prayers, quotes, and questions that invite us to reflect on the life and words of Thomas Berry, C.P. Through this reflection, participants are challenged to think more...
Saint Martin de Porres is the patron saint of mixed-race peoples and healthcare workers, whose feast day falls on November 3. This prayer celebrates his devotion and calls us to greater tolerance and...
Creative Voice Margaret Swedish (author, activist, and founder of the “Spirituality and Ecological Hope” project at the Center for New Creation) thoughtfully reveals the richness in the meaning...
This reflection categorizes quotes from Pope Francis’s trip to the United States by various themes found in Catholic social tradition. Reflection questions are included.
This prayer by St. Pierre Favre, S.J., calls on God to guide those called to be ministers to those who are suffering, both in soul and in body.
We pray with Pedro Arrupe, Center of Concern’s co-founder, that God can convert our hearts by meeting Christ in all those we encounter throughout our lives.
Pope Francis challenged young adults in inspiring terms at World Youth Day 2016; this resource features his stirring words as well as questions and prayer.
World Youth Day will bring hundreds of thousands of young people to Krakow to hear Pope Francis; it is a time to revaluate our efforts to reach our youth with in-depth knowledge of Catholic social...
On June 29, 2013, Pope Francis released the encyclical Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith). This prayer service invokes the sense of walking along a path as quotes from the encyclical are recited.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the first Native American saint and the patroness of ecology and the environment.
