Mother Cabrini and Elizabeth Anne Seton, both having New York connections to the archdiocese, were previously honored with sainthood. Father Hecker now joins a list of other remarkable figures from the Archdiocese of New York, including Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, Pierre Toussaint, Dorothy Day, and Terence Cardinal Cooke, in hopes of possible canonization.
He was born in New York City in 1819 and founded the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle in 1858. Known to many as the “The Paulist Fathers,” the society’s mission is to help Americans understand the Catholic Church and help the Church understand the democratic spirit of America.
Get to know Father Hecker and learn more about why he could become America’s next saint!
Watch the recorded livestream of Cardinal Dolan’s remarks about Father Hecker on Nov 14 at the 2023 USCCB Plenary Assembly:
A documentary film about Fr. Hecker's life
Fr. Hecker's biography on the Paulist website