The Fourth
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11 American saints to remember on the Fourth of July
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, also known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” became the first Native American saint in 2012. St. John Neumann is the first male U.S. citizen to become a saint. St Katharine Drexel dedicated her wealth and her life to serving Native Americans and African Americans. St.-Rose Philippine Duchesne served as a missionary to Native Americans. The first American-born saint is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, born in New York City in 1774. She founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first order of religious women in the U.N. and considered the founder of the Catholic school system in the United States. She was declared a saint in 1988 for her work with Native Americans, and her feast day is Nov. 18. She also founded New Orleans’ Xavier University, the only historically Black U.s. Catholic college. She is considered a saint by the Catholic Church.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 4, 2025 / 04:00 am
On July 4, Americans celebrate their country’s independence — as well as the people who formed the United States into the country that it is today. Those include American saints.
Here are 11 American saints who dedicated their lives to God and those in need in the United States:
1. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774–1821
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first American-born saint in 1975. Born in New York City, she married the love of her life at 19 and welcomed five children. She endured much suffering in her life, incluing the death of her husband, William, of tuberculosis after dire financial trouble. Two years later, Seton converted to Catholicism and went on to found the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph — the first order of religious women in the U.S. She founded several schools, including the first free U.S. Catholic school. Today, she is considered the founder of the U.S. Catholic school system.
Her feast day is Jan. 4.
Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized, circa 1810s. Credit: Everett Collection/Shutterstock
2. St. John Neumann, 1811–1860
St. John Neumann is the first male U.S. citizen to become a saint. Originally from Bohemia —known today as the Czech Republic — he traveled to New York City to be ordained a priest. At the time, he was one of only 36 priests serving 200,000 Catholics in the New York area. He joined the Redemptorists at age 29 and became the first member to profess vows in the U.S. Neumann served as a missionary and, later, as the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. He founded the first diocesan Catholic school system in the United States, which grew from two to 100 under his care. He was canonized in 1977.
His feast day is Jan. 5.
3. St. Kateri Tekakwitha, 1656–1680
St. Kateria Tekakwitha, also known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” became the first Native American saint in 2012. She was raised in Auriesville, New York, by her uncle, a Mohawk chief, after her parents died from a smallpox epidemic. After encountering Jesuit priests in her village, she converted to Catholicism at 19. Her relatives and the village attempted to punish her for her beliefs. She later ran away to Montreal, where she could practice her faith and live out her life as a consecrated virgin.
Her feast day is July 14.
Statue of St. Kateri Tekakwitha with lily. Credit: P. Marchetti/Shutterstock
4. St. Katharine Drexel, 1858–1955
A Philadelphia heiress raised by devout parents who opened their home to the poor, St. Katharine Drexel dedicated her wealth and her life to serving Native Americans and African Americans. She founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. Her work included starting schools in 13 states for African Americans as well as 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools. She also established 50 missions for Native Americans. Together with her order, she founded New Orleans’ Xavier University, the only historically Black U.S. Catholic college. She was canonized a saint in 2000.
Her feast day is March 3.
5. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, 1769–1852
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne served as a missionary to Native Americans. Born in France, she joined the Visitation nuns at 19 before being forced to leave during the French Revolution. Ten years later, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart. She came to America in 1818, when she traveled to the Louisiana Territory to minister to Native Americans. She later started the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi River and the first Catholic school for Native Americans. She was declared a saint in 1988.
Her feast day is Nov. 18.
6. St. Isaac Jogues, 1607–1646
A Jesuit priest from France, Jogues served as a missionary to the Native peoples in “New France” and became one of the North American martyrs. When he and his companions traveled to Iroquois country in 1641, they were tortured and imprisoned by the Mohawks. He survived and even baptized some of the Native Americans before he escaped back to France. He felt called to return, even though he knew he might not survive a second time. He was killed with a tomahawk in Auriesville, New York. He was canonized a saint in 1930.
His feast day is Oct. 19.
7. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, 1850–1917
A missionary from Italy, St. Frances Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When she first traveled to New York City, she discovered that the house she had planned to turn into an orphanage was unavailable. When the archbishop advised her to return to Italy, she refused. Instead, she founded orphanages, hospitals, convents, and schools, many of which served Italian immigrants. She became the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint in 1946.
Her feast day is Nov. 13.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Credit: Public domain
8. St. Théodore Guérin, 1798–1856
A missionary from France, St. Théodore Guérin founded the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. At 25, she first joined the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir before leading a group of sisters to Indiana in 1840. There, she opened a convent and the first girls’ boarding school in that state. Even as her health failed her, she continued to open schools throughout Indiana and Illinois while facing anti-Catholic sentiment. She was canonized a saint in 2006.
Her feast day is Oct. 3.
9. St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, 1840–1889
Originally from Belgium, St. Damien de Veuster dedicated his life as a missionary to those with leprosy in Molokai, Hawaii. At 19, he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He then volunteered to serve those with leprosy who were quarantined on the island of Molokai. He spent his time building schools, churches, and hospitals. After contracting and dying from leprosy himself, he was declared a saint in 2009.
His feast day is May 10.
10. St. Marianne Cope, 1838–1918
Born in Germany, St. Marianne Cope joined the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, New York, before serving multiple times as the novice mistress of her congregation and the superior of St. Joseph’s Hospital. She later offered to go to Hawaii to serve those with leprosy. The Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Cope, joined St. Damien in Molokai. A former teacher and principal, Cope focused on education. She also brought joy and inspired the women there by gifting them with bright scarves and dresses. She was canonized a saint in 2012.
Her feast day is Jan. 23.
11. St. Junípero Serra, 1713–1784
St. Junípero Serra served as the founder of the Spanish missions in California. Originally from Spain, he joined the Franciscans before becoming a missionary. He served those in Mexico before going to California, where he founded nine of the 21 Spanish missions and taught the Native Americans various trades. He became the first saint canonized on U.S. soil in 2015.
His feast day is July 1.
St. Junípero Serra. Credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This article was first published on July 2, 2022, and has been updated.
Reasons to Celebrate the Fourth of July
The July 4th holiday will be remembered as one of the most shameful in U.S. history, writes Frida Ghitis. Ghitis: Hard-working immigrants arrested by ICE agents in workplaces, courthouses, churches, and schools. Of the more than 200,000 people booked into ICE detention facilities between last October 1 and mid-June, 93 percent were never convicted of a violent crime, and 65 percent had no criminal history whatsoever, Ghitis says. She asks: What does it mean to be an American if armed, masked men can sweep anybody, citizen or not, off the street, forcing people into unmarked S.U.V.s?Ghitis: Americans have signaled their rejection of Trump’s policies by taking to the streets to reject the gagged gagging of those who were doing essential jobs most Americans don’t want to do. The country can only look back on this chapter of our collective regret with regret, she writes, with all of our hearts.
Every Fourth of July, Erwin Knoll, the late editor of The Progressive magazine, would host a party. He’d grill burgers and brats and tack copies of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to trees in his backyard in Madison, Wisconsin.
The U.S. government has never had a fiercer critic than Knoll. And yet, having come to New York City as a child after fleeing Nazis in his native Austria in 1939, he cherished these foundational documents of American democracy, even though his adopted nation has always fallen short of its lofty ideals.
I think about Knoll’s July Fourth celebrations, some of which I had the good fortune to attend, as I contemplate what it means to celebrate the nation’s 249th birthday during a period that will deservedly be remembered as one of the most shameful in U.S. history.
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Hard-working immigrants arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in workplaces, courthouses, churches, and schools. Farm workers chased in the fields. Foreign students scooped off the street and thrown into detention facilities for engaging in constitutionally protected speech.
President Donald Trump said he would be going after murderers, rapists, and other violent criminals. But immigrants are in fact far less likely to fall into this category than those born in the United States, and so the dragnet has been drawn around everyone who lacks legal status (and even some U.S. citizens). Of the more than 200,000 people booked into ICE detention facilities between last October 1 and mid-June, 93 percent were never convicted of a violent crime, and 65 percent had no criminal history whatsoever. In Trump’s America, Who Gets to Call Themselves American? | But what does it mean to be an American if armed, masked men can sweep anybody, citizen or not, off the street, forcing people into unmarked S.U.V.s—to be…disappeared to remote Louisiana or taken to a prison camp in El Salvador? #July4th — Bucks County Beacon (@buckscountybeacon.com) 2025-07-04T13:12:43.465Z
Consider the case of Narciso Barranco, a landscaper in Santa Ana, California. On Saturday, June 21, while doing some landscaping work outside of an IHOP, he was accosted by a group of heavily armed and masked federal immigration agents. They chased and pepper-sprayed him, threw him to the ground and punched him in the head repeatedly as he cried out in pain.
Videos of Barranco’s mistreatment have been seen around the world. The Department of Homeland Security claims he attacked agents with his weed whacker, which the available evidence does not substantiate.
Barranco, forty-eight years old, originally from Mexico, has been living, working, and paying taxes in the United States since the 1990s. His three sons are all U.S. Marines, including two on active duty. He was in the process of applying for what’s known as parole in place, which permits family members of active-duty military to stay in the United States on an annually renewable basis.
PHOTO ESSAY: Trump’s Militarized War on Immigrants Meets Citizen Resistance in Los Angeles
“I feel betrayed,” said Alejandro Barranco, Narciso’s oldest son, to NBC News. “My dad has no criminal history. He wasn’t doing anything bad. He was just working. The way they attacked him, I don’t think it’s right.” Alejandro, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, noted that his father’s first concern when they spoke was to make sure the IHOP manager knew Alejandro would be taking over and the job would get done.
“It doesn’t make me love my country less,” Alejandro told MSNBC. “It makes me love it more because I see all these people standing up for my dad, and it’s just [what] this country is all about, you know, coming together as a community, loving each other and helping each other out so that this country can look the best, whether it’s landscape or just people in general.” As of this writing, Narciso Barranco remains in custody at an ICE facility in Los Angeles.
One day, after we have gagged on the bitter fruit of expelling essential workers who were doing jobs most Americans don’t want—cleaning hotel rooms, working in meat processing plants, taking care of the sick and elderly—we will look back on this chapter of our history with collective regret. Already, millions of Americans have signaled their rejection of Trump’s policies, taking to the streets all across the nation. Millions more will join them as the abject cruelty and unmitigated folly of his administration’s agenda becomes even more apparent.
So this Fourth of July, fire up that grill, post those copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, and commit to bringing an end to this horror show as soon as possible.
This column was produced for Progressive Perspectives, a project of The Progressive, and distributed by Tribune News Service.
21 celebrations lighting up Alabama for the Fourth of July
With 50-plus celebrations across Alabama, Yellowhammer News has chosen 21 events to highlight the different choices for Fourth of July fun across the state. Whether you’re in the mood for a lakeside concert, a parade through town, or a fireworks show under the stars, this year’s lineup of 21 events offers something for everyone. From the hills of North Alabama to the white-sand beaches of the Gulf, communities across Alabama are getting ready to celebrate America’s birthday with fireworks, festivals, and family fun. The Midnight Ride at Rattlesnake Saloon (Tuscumbia) is a one-of-a-kind saloon tucked under a bluff. The UAB Summer Band Concert (Birmingham) offers a free, family-friendly concert featuring patriotic music. The Madison Star Spangled Celebration (Madison) features inflatables, live music, food trucks, and fireworks from 5 to 9 p.m. The Opelika Independence Day Celebration (Opelika) features a community celebration with plenty of space to enjoy the show.
With 50-plus celebrations across Alabama, Yellowhammer News has chosen 21 events to highlight the different choices for Fourth of July fun across the state. Whether you’re in the mood for a lakeside concert, a parade through town, or a fireworks show under the stars, this year’s lineup of 21 events offers something for everyone.
North Alabama Events
Smith Lake Park Fireworks and Music Festival (Cullman County)
Spend the day at the lake on July 4 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, local vendors, arts and crafts, and a fireworks show that lights up the water.
Spend the day at the lake on July 4 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with live music, local vendors, arts and crafts, and a fireworks show that lights up the water. Fireworks Over Lake Guntersville (Guntersville)
Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy music and food at Civitan Park before fireworks launch over the lake at 9 p.m. on July 4.
Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy music and food at Civitan Park before fireworks launch over the lake at 9 p.m. on July 4. Shoals Spirit of Freedom Celebration (Florence)
McFarland Park will be buzzing with activity from 3 to 9 p.m. on July 4 with live music and a crowd-pleasing fireworks finale.
McFarland Park will be buzzing with activity from 3 to 9 p.m. on July 4 with live music and a crowd-pleasing fireworks finale. Red, White & Boom (Athens)
Family fun kicks off at 5 p.m. at the Athens SportsPlex with fireworks wrapping up the night.
Family fun kicks off at 5 p.m. at the Athens SportsPlex with fireworks wrapping up the night. Town of Gurley July 4th Celebration (Gurley)
Fireworks, food trucks, and good vibes await from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Charles Stone Park.
Fireworks, food trucks, and good vibes await from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Charles Stone Park. Madison Star Spangled Celebration (Madison)
On July 3, head to Dublin Park for inflatables, live music, food trucks, and fireworks from 5 to 9 p.m.
On July 3, head to Dublin Park for inflatables, live music, food trucks, and fireworks from 5 to 9 p.m. Midnight Ride at Rattlesnake Saloon (Tuscumbia)
Up for a late-night adventure? Hop on the Midnight Ride on July 4 at this one-of-a-kind saloon tucked under a bluff.
Central Alabama Events
Thunder on the Mountain (Birmingham)
Begins at 9 p.m. with fireworks launched from Vulcan Park, visible from locations across the city.
Begins at 9 p.m. with fireworks launched from Vulcan Park, visible from locations across the city. UAB Summer Band Concert (Birmingham)
7 p.m. outside Bartow Arena. A free, family-friendly concert featuring patriotic music.
7 p.m. outside Bartow Arena. A free, family-friendly concert featuring patriotic music. Homewood 4th of July Festival (Homewood)
5 p.m. in downtown Homewood. Includes rides, children’s activities, and a great view of Birmingham’s fireworks.
5 p.m. in downtown Homewood. Includes rides, children’s activities, and a great view of Birmingham’s fireworks. Independence Day at American Village (Montevallo)
11 a.m.–9 p.m. Features historic reenactments, colonial games, music, and fireworks.
11 a.m.–9 p.m. Features historic reenactments, colonial games, music, and fireworks. Alexander City Fireworks Show (Alexander City)
Fireworks at dark from the Benjamin Russell High School grounds with a community celebration beforehand.
Fireworks at dark from the Benjamin Russell High School grounds with a community celebration beforehand. Clanton Fourth of July Celebration (Clanton)
Fireworks at 9 p.m. at Clanton City Park. A family favorite with plenty of space to enjoy the show.
Fireworks at 9 p.m. at Clanton City Park. A family favorite with plenty of space to enjoy the show. Opelika Independence Day Celebration (Opelika)
Gates open in the afternoon behind Duck Samford Stadium. Fireworks begin at dusk.
South Alabama Events
Independence Day Street Party (Orange Beach)
Kick off the holiday early on July 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Wharf with kids’ activities, fireworks, and a laser light show.
Kick off the holiday early on July 2 from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Wharf with kids’ activities, fireworks, and a laser light show. Orange Beach Fireworks (Gulf State Park Pavilion)
A beachside fireworks display lights up the sky at 9 p.m. on July 4.
A beachside fireworks display lights up the sky at 9 p.m. on July 4. Gulf Shores Fourth of July Celebration (Gulf Shores)
Watch the fireworks from the Gulf State Park Fishing Pier at 9 p.m. on July 4. Perfect way to end a day at the beach.
Watch the fireworks from the Gulf State Park Fishing Pier at 9 p.m. on July 4. Perfect way to end a day at the beach. Mobile’s 4th of July Celebration (Mobile)
Double the fun with fireworks launching from Cooper Riverside Park and Mardi Gras Park at 9 p.m.
Double the fun with fireworks launching from Cooper Riverside Park and Mardi Gras Park at 9 p.m. Fairhope’s Fourth of July Celebration (Fairhope)
Bring the family to Henry George Park for a concert at 7:30 p.m., followed by fireworks over the bay at 9 p.m.
Bring the family to Henry George Park for a concert at 7:30 p.m., followed by fireworks over the bay at 9 p.m. Troy Fireworks Celebration (Troy)
Head to Veterans Memorial Stadium at 8:30 p.m. on July 4 for a big show in a classic college town setting.
Head to Veterans Memorial Stadium at 8:30 p.m. on July 4 for a big show in a classic college town setting. Monroeville Freedom Fest (Monroeville)
From 4 to 10 p.m. on July 4, Veterans Park will be packed with water slides, contests, music, and fireworks at dusk.
With big-city spectacles and small-town traditions, Alabama’s Fourth of July celebrations are as diverse as the state itself. Pick your spot, pack a cooler, and get ready to make memories under the fireworks this Independence Day.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
Weekend To Do List: Fourth of July celebrations around Greater Boston
Quincy has its 400 Maritime Festival all weekend long at Marina Bay. The Summer Boston Celtic Music Festival celebrates Greater Boston’s rich Irish and Celtic music traditions. Rail Trail Flatbread Co. in Milford and Hudson is treating the little ones to free meals so the entire family can have some fun this Fourth of July Weekend. The festival kicks off inside Club Passim on Sunday at 2 p.m. with both free and ticketed performances.
Quincy 400 Maritime Festival
Quincy has its 400 Maritime Festival all weekend long at Marina Bay, celebrating the city’s 400th anniversary. Enjoy live entertainment, boat displays, sand sculptures, food, fire performers, face painting and more. Shop at Marina Bay and stroll the boardwalk for the perfect Fourth of July Weekend. The summer amusement kicks off Friday and lasts through Sunday.
When: Friday, July 4 from 2 p.m. 9 p.m.; Saturday, July 5 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, July 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Marina Bay Boardwalk, 305 Victory Rd., Quincy
Cost: Items available for purchase
Click here for more information
Kids Eat Free at Rail Trail Flatbread Co. in Milford and Hudson
Celebrate the fourth with some free food for he kids from Sunday to Sunday in Milford and Hudson. Rail Trail Flatbread Co. is treating the little ones to free meals so the entire family can have some fun this fourth. The tasty deal is on site only!
When: Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: 223 Main St., Milford and 33 Main St., Hudson
Cost: Free for kids 12 and under
Click here for more information
Summer Boston Celtic Music Festival
The Summer Boston Celtic Music Festival celebrates Greater Boston’s rich Irish and Celtic music traditions with local musicians at Harvard Square. With both free and ticketed performances, it’s a beloved annual tradition that kicks off inside Club Passim on Sunday at 2 p.m.
When: Sunday, July 6 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Club Passim, 47 Palmer St., Cambridge
Cost: Free and ticketed performances
Click here for more information and to get tickets
CWG Live updates Summertime comfort for the Fourth, and similar tomorrow
Today’s daily digit — 8/10: Average heat but superbly low humidity, for July. Enjoy the dry warmth and good weather for fireworks, though a bit more breeze might help disperse smoke better. Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Today (the Fourth): Sunny with a “dry heat” thanks to very low humidity (dew points in the 50s) for July and highs mainly in an 83-88 range.
The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a 0-to-10 scale.
Forecast in detail
Today (the Fourth): Sunny with a “dry heat” thanks to very low humidity (dew points in the 50s) for July and highs mainly in an 83-88 range. Breezes are light from the north-northeast. Confidence: High
Tonight: Clear and very light if any breezes for fireworks time, with temperatures about 75 to 80 near dusk. Predawn lows end up in the 60s. Confidence: High
Saturday: Outdoor time is still in the clear with gentle breezes, highs in the mid-80s to around 90 degrees and only a small uptick in humidity. Confidence: Medium-High
Saturday night: Mostly clear with lows in the mid-60s to near 70. Any light winds should calm quickly. Confidence: Medium-High
Sunday: It’s still fairly sunny with just a slight afternoon and evening thunderstorm chance as humidity rises more notably. Highs may get hot again, though about average for this time of year, in the upper 80s to low 90s. Confidence: Medium-High
A look ahead
Sunday night: Muggier lows may bottom out within a few degrees of 70 and skies are partly cloudy after any early evening storm or two. Confidence: Medium-High
Afternoon and evening shower or storm chances trend upward on Monday as a humid-feeling surge of tropical moisture arrives from the south. A fair amount of sunshine helps keep highs warm, within a few degrees of 90. Confidence: Medium
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/04/briefing/the-fourth.html