The Catholic Church is blessed to have examples of holiness and faith throughout the centuries in the many saints we have canonized and beatified. We wanted to share 10 saints who lived in the past 100 years that every family should know! Take a look at what these holy men and women have to say about the family and beauty of our faith, and bring their words to your prayer or family discussions.

10 Modern Saints Every Family Should Know:

1. Pope St. John Paul II

A man set on strengthening the foundations of the family, Pope St. John Paul II devoted many aspects of his papacy to show the beauty of family life. We can pray to him for his intercession in forming strong families built on love and sacrifice.

“To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.”

2. St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe was a heroic witness to the importance of family when he sacrificed his own life for that of a father’s at Auschwitz during World War II. His example of loving the Blessed Mother inspires us to turn to her in our most trying times!

“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”

3. St. Teresa of Calcutta

Her sweet humility and strength in faith make Mother Teresa a companion for all families. She served the poorest of the poor and shows us the value of true sacrifice!

“Whatever you do for your family, your children, your husband, your wife, you do for God. All we do, our prayers, our work, our suffering, is for Jesus.”

4. Bl. Carlo Acutis

Can you believe there’s a patron saint of computer programming? Well, Carlo Acutis is the best intercessor for children especially as technology becomes more prevalent!

“Our soul is like a hot air balloon. If by chance there is a mortal sin, the soul falls to the ground. Confession is like the fire underneath the balloon enabling the soul to rise again… It is important to go to confession often.”

5. St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Gianna saw her role as mother and protector of her children so seriously that she gave her life so that her unborn baby might live. Her sweetest affection for her husband seen in the letters they exchanged also shows us how we can love our spouse!

“The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day.”

6. Sts. Louis & Zelie Martin

Parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Martins shared the power of trusting in God’s plan especially when difficulties arise.

“When we had our children, our ideas changed somewhat. We lived only for them. They were all our happiness, and we never found any except in them. In short, nothing was too difficult, and the world was no longer a burden for us. For me, our children were a great compensation, so I wanted to have a lot of them in order to raise them for Heaven.”

7. St. Josephine Bahkita

St. Josephine Bakhita, a former slave who found freedom and the Christian faith, is a powerful intercessor for families seeking unity, healing, and strength to overcome adversity.

“When a person loves another dearly, he desires strongly to be close to the other: therefore, why be afraid to die?”

8. Sts. Francisco & Jacinta Marto

We’re lucky to have two saints that embody the childlike piety that we all can strive for. Francisco and Jacinta are sweet companions for our children and help encourage them to live their faith well.

“I am suffering a lot, but I offer everything for sinners, and in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

9. St. Josemaria Escriva

The “saint of the ordinary,” St. Josemaria Escriva encourages families to love deeply, serve the Lord through our work, and strive to make our homes places of comfort and joy.

“Christian couples should be aware that they are called to sanctity themselves and to sanctify others, that they are called to be apostles and that their first apostolate is in the home. They should understand that founding a family, educating their children, and exercising a Christian influence in society, are supernatural tasks.”

10. St. Edith Stein

A philosopher who spoke about the beauty of the “feminine genius,” St. Edith Stein is a significant saint for mothers to pray to because her life highlights the value of faith, intellect, and the pursuit of God’s will for each of us even in the midst of challenges.

“To be a mother is to nourish and protect true humanity and bring it to development.”