The diversity and breadth of the witness of the holy men and women of the United States becomes tangible when seen on a map. Above is a map on which we have marked the location (if known) of the burial sites of each American Saint or candidate for sainthood, along with any museums or other important locations associated with them. We will be updating this map as we become aware of new information or changes. The map is publicly available. If you open this link in Google Maps, you can add the Map of the American Saints and Causes into your saved maps and then access it on your personal device. When planning a trip, pull up the map and see if there is a nearby location of interest to incorporate!
In some areas of the country, you could visit multiple sites in a single day or over the course of a few days. Explore the map and build your own pilgrimage. But here are some ideas to consider:
1. The Michigan Pilgrimage Option. Total distance: 527 miles.
Begin your pilgrimage at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit, Michigan. Visit the tomb of Blessed Solanus Casey. Travel less than an hour Northwest to the Columbiere Center Cemetery to visit the grave of Servant of God John Hardon. From there, its a 6-hour hike to Marquette, Michigan. There you can visit the tomb of Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga, which is in a side chapel of the stunning St. Peter's Cathedral, as well as learn about Bishop Baraga's life at the Baraga Education Center and Museum. Finally, journey South for a little over an hour to the Holy Cross Cemetery in Escanaba, Michigan, to pray at the tomb of the grandfather and stigmatist, Servant of God Irving Houle.
Bonus add-on options: Before leaving Detroit, travel over to Old St. Mary's Church where Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was once assigned. When crossing into the Upper Peninsula, visit St. Anne's church on Mackinaw Island, Michigan, where Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli was assigned as a young priest.
2. The Louisiana Pilgrimage Option. Total distance: 410 miles.
Begin your pilgrimage at the National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, which is housed in St. Mary’s Assumption Church. Next, head to St. Louis Cemetery #2 to pray at the grave of Venerable Henriette Delille. Travel from there to Reserve, LA, to the tomb of Servant of God Jean Martin Eyraud, located at the St. Peter’s Catholic Church cemetery. Heading further West, to Arnaudville, LA, to St. Francis Regis Church cemetery so you can seek the intercession of Servant of God Auguste Pelafigue. After that, it’s off to Saint Matthew cemetery in Church Point, LA, to visit the grave of Servant of God Charlene Richard. Finally, three stops connected with the Shreveport Martyrs. Head to Monroe, LA, to visit the tomb of Servant of God Louis Marie Gergaud at Saint Matthew Cemetery. Our final 2 stops are in Shreveport, LA. The first is Forest Park cemetery to see the grave of Servant of God Jean Marie Biler. Servants of God Jean Pierre, François LeVézouët and Isidore Quémerais are all buried in St. Joseph Catholic cemetery.
3. The California Pilgrimage Option. Total distance: 534 miles.
Begin your pilgrimage at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento, CA, to seek the intercession of Venerable Bishop Alphonse Gallegos. Next, travel to the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara, CA, to visit the graves of Servants of God Cora Evans and Magín Gausch. After that, it’s off to beautiful Carmel, CA, and the Carmel Mission Basilica, founded by and the final resting place of Saint Junípero Serra. Traveling south to the Los Angeles area, head to San Fernando Mission Catholic Cemetery in Mission Hills, CA to pray at the grave of Servant of God Ida Peterfy. Finish your pilgrimage at the grave of Servant of God Aloysius Echevarría in the San Gabriel Mission Cemetery in San Gabriel, CA.
4. The New York City Metropolitan Area Pilgrimage Option. Total distance: 151 miles.
Begin your pilgrimage in Convent Station, NJ, at the Holy Family Chapel, the final resting place of Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich. Next, travel to Totowa, NJ, to pray at the grave of Servant of God Leo Heinrichs in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Two stops in Staten Island, NY, first at the Cemetery of the Resurrection to visit the tomb of Servant of God Dorothy Day, then St. Peter’s Cemetery for Servant of God Vincent Capodanno. Next a detour into Long Island, to Westbury, NY, for Servant of God Bernard Quinn who awaits the second coming in the Cemetery of the Holy Rood. Return to Manhattan and go to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to visit the tombs of Venerable Pierre Toussaint and Servant of God Terence James Cooke. From there, it’s off to St. Paul the Apostle Church where Servant of God Isaac Hecker rests in the church’s vault. Finish your pilgrimage at the NYC shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.
To help you plan your own pilgrimage, or just learn about those on American Saints and Causes associated with a region you are interested in, check out the Regions page. There you will find a listing of all the individual entries on this website sorted by Region and State or Territory. You can filter the list to the Regions, States or Territories of interest to you and click on the links to go directly to the page for an individual that you want to learn more about.
