They also intercede for us in heaven. The American bishops have joined the worldwide lobbying effort on behalf of Mother Teresa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her Sisters of Mercy ministry in Calcutta to ease the suffering of the terminally ill. The pope earlier this week waived the normal five-year waiting period for commencement of Teresa's review for sainthood. The Bishops of the United States rejoice that the process of her canonization can begin even while people have vivid memories of all that she meant to every strata of society in virtually every nation of the world. If Teresa's supporters are successful, she will join an honored group of indeterminate size.
Church historians are uncertain exactly how many people have been canonized.
In the first 1,000 years of Christianity, the people just simply decided that this person who had died was a holy person and made them a saint. Catholics in the United States have had a hard time gaining sainthood. Walsh said only three American citizens are listed in the Catholic Almanac as fully canonized members of the calendar of saints. Italians, by far, lead the nations in the most number of saints, although a precise number is unavailable. The national origins of hundreds of saints is unknown.