List of saints from Asia

This page is a list of saints, blesseds, venerables, and Servants of God from Asia, as recognized by the Catholic Church. These people were born, died, or lived their religious life in any of the states or territories of Asia.

Martyrs of Nagasaki (1628 engraving)

Since Christianity began in Asia, the first Christians were Asians, and Biblical figures of the Old Testament considered to be saints also spent all or most of their lives in the Holy Land. While Catholicism has waxed and waned in various parts of the continent, it has had a continuous presence there into the twenty-first century.

Early times

Due to the rise of Islam and the schisms leading to the establishment of Nestorian, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches, the Asian saints of times before the modern era are largely concentrated in the area of the Holy Land and the time of the Roman Empire. Christianity reached as far as China and India. The following is a very partial list of those Asian-connected saints traditionally recognized by Rome.

Popes

Nine of the early popes are said to have been Asian. Three of these (Popes Constantine, John V, and John VI) have not been traditionally considered saints. The other five are:

In addition, Pope Saint Sergius I was born to Syrian immigrants living in Sicily.

One pope died in Asia: Pope Saint Agapetus I (r. 535-536).

Apostles

All the apostles were Asians, and many of them lived and died in Asia.

Doctors

Seven of the thirty-five Doctors of the Church were from Asia, all of them from this time period. They are:

Writers and theologians

Many of the early writers and theologians had connections with Asia. A partial list would include:

Others

In addition to the categories above, these first centuries gave the Church many other saints, among them:

Modern times

After the canonization of saints came to be reserved to the Papacy around AD 1000, and especially after the establishment of the Congregation of Rites in 1588, the list of official saints with Asian connections is more clear.

List of saints

The following is the list of saints, including the year in which they were canonized and the country or countries with which they are associated.

List of blesseds

List of venerables

List of Servants of God

Other open causes

Others have been proposed for beatification, and may have active groups supporting their causes. These include:

  • Gerard A. Donovan, Maryknoll priest and martyr (China)[1]
  • Richardus Kardis Sandjaja, priest and martyr (Indonesia)[2]

See also

References
  1. The Scranton Times-Tribune
  • "Hagiography Circle"
  • O'Malley, Vincent J. (2007). Saints of Asia. Our Sunday Visitor. ISBN 978-1-59276-173-9.
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