The litany of the saints that we pray today for All Saints Day includes a prayer: “Bring back to the unity of the Church all those who are straying, and bring all unbelievers to the light of the Gospel.” The saints themselves show us the path toward this unity.
About twenty years ago, I was asked by a friend if I knew of saints who converted from Protestantism to be able to recommend as Confirmation names. At the time, John Henry Newman was not even beatified and the only other name I could think of was Elizabeth Ann Seton – not helpful for a man. Since then, I have been paying attention and have found a good number of such converts, either canonized saints or those on the way. They show us the power of truth to lead us into the Church, despite many obstacles, and can be powerful intercessors for friends and family. Here is a list (which is a work in progress):
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1871) – Seton was moved to convert from Episcopalianism after her husband died while the family was in Italy, witnessing Catholic faith in and devotion to the Eucharist. She founded the first American group of religious sisters, the Daughters of Charity, and is considered a founder of the parochial school system. She is the only canonized American convert-saint.
St. John Henry Newman (1801-90) – Newman typifies the journey from Protestantism to the Catholic faith, as he traces his journey in his great work Apologia pro Vita Sua from skepticism as a young man, to evangelical belief, to High Church Anglicanism, and finally, to what he called the safe harbor, the Catholic faith. He said famously in his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine that “to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant” as he realized that the Catholic Church is the Church of the Apostles and early Church Fathers.
St. Edmund Campion (1540-81) – Campion represents the many conversions that occurred at Oxford – that place of tradition – during the English Reformation. After becoming a Jesuit, he issued his famous Brag about his ability to defend the Catholic faith in public debate, and was given that opportunity, under very unfavorable circumstances in his captivity, before his martyrdom.
There are many other English martyrs, who converted from Anglicanism (a few of them who were Anglican priests). It is truly amazing that so many young men and women were compelled to convert even when facing death in England, stretching over a pretty long period of time. Truly, they laid the foundation for St. John Henry Newman and the many converts who followed in the wake of his conversion:
- St. Alexander Briant (1556-81); St. Ralph Sherwine (1550-81)
- St. Luke Kirby (1549-82); Bl. Thomas Cottam (1549-82)
- Bl. John Bodey (1549-83)
- Bl. Thomas Hemeford (d.1584)
- St. Margaret Clitherow (1556-86); Bl. John Adams (1545-86)
- Bl. Stephen Rowsham (1555-87); Bl. Thomas Pilcher (1557-87)
- Bl. Edward James (d. 1588); William Dean (d. 1588)
- St. Edmond Grennings (1567-91); St. Eustace White (1559-91); Bl. Laurence Humphrey (1571-91); Bl. Sidney Hodgson (d.1591)
- Bl. Edward Waterson (d. 1593)
- St. John Boste (1544-94); Bl. John Ingram (1565-94)
- St. Robert Southwell (1561-95)
- St. Ann Line (1563-1601); Bl. Mark Barkworth (1572-1601)
- William Scott (d.1602)
- St. Alban Roe (1583-1642); St. Alban Bartholomew Roe (1583-1642)
- Bl. Henry Heath (1600-43)
- St. Henry Morse (1595-1645)
- Bl. Edward Coleman (d. 1678)
- Bl. Anthony Turner (1628-79)
St. Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870-1957) – Hesselblad is the last of the canonized convert-saints I have discovered (if you know of others, please post them in the comment box). She was born Lutheran in Sweden and discovered the Catholic faith while working as a nurse in New York City. After her conversion, she founded a new branch of the Bridgettines devoted to St. Bridget’s original rule, including a foundation in Sweden.
There are some other converts on the path to sainthood:
Bl. Nicholas Steno (1638-86) – Steno laid the foundations for modern geology, although he became more interested in theology, leading to his conversion from Lutheranism. A native of Denmark, he was later ordained a bishop and appointed Apostolic Vicar for the Nordic Missions.
Bl. Charles (Karl) Steeb (1773-1856) – Born a Lutheran in Germany, Steeb converted after studying in France and Italy. He is known for teaching, serving the poor, and founding a teaching order, the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy.
Bl. John Sullivan, SJ (1861-1933) – Sullivan’s father was Lord Chancellor of Ireland, firmly rooted in the Church of Ireland. Sullivan converted as a young man and became a Jesuit priest, devoted to the sick and to penance.
Ven. Ignatius Spencer (1799-1864) – Born into an aristocratic family, Spencer became an Anglican priest, though after his conversion he worked ardently for the union of the Anglican and Catholic churches, becoming a Passionate priest (an order with a special devotion to the conversion of England). He is a relation of Prince William, through his mother Diana Spencer.
Ven. Elizabeth Prout (Mother Mary Joseph of Jesus) (1820-64) – Prout was also an Anglican convert and worked with Ven. Spencer to erect the Passionist Sisters in England.
Ven. Cornelia Connelly (1809-79) – Connelly has a wild story. She was born a Presbyterian in Philadelphia but ended up marrying an Episcopalian priest, Pierce Connelly. The couple together discerned a conversion to the Catholic Church, although her husband wanted to become a Catholic priest. She pleaded against splitting up the family, although she did consent to his ordination directly to the Pope. After his ordination, she established a teaching order in England, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, although she lost custody of her children and had to go to court when her husband tried to force her, against her vows and his ordination, to return to him. She remained faithful to her vows and congregation until her death, although she endured intense ridicule and scorn in England.
Ven. Frances Margaret Taylor (Mother Magdalene of the Sacred Heart) (1832-1900) – Taylor converted from Anglicanism due to meeting Irish religious sisters while serving as a nurse in the Crimean War. She became a writer and later founded the Poor Servants of the Mother of God to care for the poor.
Ven. Mary Veronica of the Passion (Sophie Leeves) (1823-1906) – Daughter of an Anglican chaplain in Constantinople, she broke of her engagement with a British naval officer to convert. She became a religious sister in France, although after being sent to India, she embraced a contemplative charism and helped establish the Discalced Carmelites there.
Servant of God Isaac Hecker (1819-88) – Under the influence of Orestes Brownsen, Hecker was received into the Church and became a Redemptorist priest. He then founded the Paulist Fathers with an emphasis on attention to the movements of the Holy Spirit and evangelization.
Servant of God Rose Hawthorne (Mother Mary Alphonsa, OP) (1851-1926) – Daughter of the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rose married and after extensive travel in Europe converted with her husband. After his death, she devoted herself to serving the sick, especially those dying of cancer, and founded a group of Dominican Sisters for this purpose.
Servant of God Joseph Dutton (1843-1931) – Raised a Baptist, Dutton served in the Civil War, married, and, after separation, fell into alcoholic. After recovering, he briefly entered a monastery and then moved to Hawaii to work with St. Damian.
Servant of God Lewis Thomas Wattson (1863-40) – As an Episcopalian priest he founded a Franciscan community to work for unity. He ended up entering the Catholic Church with a group of his fellow Episcopalian friars. He also co-founded the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), a pontifical foundation for helping Christians in the East.
Servant of God Rhoda Wise (1888-1948) – Wise was raised in the First Christian Church in Ohio and West Virginia, being taught to hate the Catholic Church. Through her intense and prolonged suffering, she met religious sisters who led her into the Church. She was a mystic and offered up her suffering for souls, and she played a key role in the life of Mother Angelica.
Servant of God Dorothy Day (1897-1980) – Although raised a nominal Christian, Day made the choice to be confirmed in the Episcopalian church, before turning to Communism. She was drawn to the Catholic Church after having a child out of wedlock and founded the Catholic Worker Movement with Peter Maurin to advocate for social justice.
Servant of God Thea Bowman (1937-90) – She was raised a Methodist in Mississippi, although she made the personal choice at age 9 to become Catholic and then became a religious sister at the age of 15 with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. She did much to support Black Catholics, seeking to promote their culture and spirituality in the Catholic Church in the United States.
If you know of other saints – or those on the way – who converted from Protestantism, please comment below.
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