Pope canonizes 7 saints, including 2 Americans

Several of the new saints were missionaries, making clear the pope hopes their example will be relevant today as the Church is challenged by evangelical movements, growing secularization and disenchantment over the abuse scandal.

Pope Benedict XVI added seven more saints onto the roster of Catholic role models on Sunday, saying their example would strengthen the church as it tries to rekindle the faith in places where it's lagging. Two of them were Americans: Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint from the U.S. and Mother Marianne Cope, a 19th century Franciscan nun who cared for leprosy patients in Hawaii.

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