Who is recognized as the first American-born saint?

• A. Elizabeth Ann Seton
• B. Katharine Drexel
• C. Kateri Tekakwitha
• D. John Neumann

Answer: (A)

Canonization recognizes a person as a saint after a life of faith and service, and this question asks who was the first saint born in what is now the United States. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born in New York in 1774, founded the Sisters of Charity, and helped shape Catholic education in the early United States. She was canonized in 1975, making her the first American-born person to be declared a saint. While others on the list are notable American Catholics—Kateri Tekakwitha is celebrated as the first Native American saint (canonized in 2012), and Katharine Drexel and John Neumann were canonized later—the earliest American-born saint is Seton. So Elizabeth Ann Seton holds that distinction.