The Vatican's 7 new saints (PHOTOS)

GlobalPost

Roman Catholic leader Pope Benedict XVI today canonized seven people, among them Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American Indian saint, reported NBC News

The Pontiff today named seven new saints in an open-air ceremony attended by tens of thousands of people in Saint Peter’s Square, according to Al Jazeera. The event marked the start of the Church's proclaimed "Year of Faith." 

France's Jacques Berthieu, Germany's Maria Anna Cope and Maria Schaeffer, the Philippines' Pedro Calungsod, Italy's Giovanni Battista Piamarta and Spain's Maria del Carmen were also recognized by the Holy See today for their "heroic virtue." 

Click through gallery to learn more about their lives. 

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