A Potential New Saint of the Catholic Church Who Listened to Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers

(ZENIT News / Rome, 10.20.2026).- Maria Middleton, from Bucks County in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, passed away in 2020 at the age of 18. Her Cause for Canonization was opened following consultations with the Bishops of Pennsylvania and a vote by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in recognition of the spiritual impact of her testimony.

Maria was born on September 10, 2002, and was baptized at St. Agnes Parish in Sellersville. She attended Regina Academy at St. John the Baptist in Ottsville and Villa Joseph Marie High School in Holland. She excelled as both a student and an athlete. She was very witty and prayed with profound piety.

At the age of 11, she began a spiritual journal that opened with the phrase, «God is merciful.» Her final written words, penned before her death from complications related to an inoperable brain tumor, were: «Think of Hope.»

Maria’s early writings describe her intention to use her gifts to serve God. «One of the messages Maria leaves behind — especially for young people trying to figure out, ‘What should I do with my life?’ — is a beautiful one: Take the gifts you have been given and use them to serve,» remarked her mother, Susan.

Jeannine Marino, a canon lawyer with expertise in canonization processes, submitted a request to Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez to open the Cause of Maria Middleton in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, on behalf of the Think Hope Foundation. The documents presented to Archbishop Pérez included a book titled «Think Hope,» which chronicles the young woman’s journey, a life marked by unwavering trust in God.

Maria received her diagnosis on January 30, 2019: an inoperable brain tumor in the brainstem. The prognosis indicated a life expectancy of nine to twelve months. The illness caused a great deal of pain. That day, Maria wrote that it was «the best year of her life,» because she understood that «joy and pain coexist,» explained her mother, Susan. She further noted that, over the following twenty months, «Maria focused on joy amidst her pain. She did not dwell on the suffering, but rather on the present moment, where God resides and where His grace is available to help. That is how she handled it.»

Brian, Maria’s father, describes his family’s experience, and the potential sanctity of his daughter, as «surreal.» Upon learning of the diagnosis, he said, «We began to experience things that defied explanation. We started to realize, as Maria herself said, that this was not a punishment; it was the purpose of her life. It brings us comfort to know that Maria is in Heaven. If the Church believes that Maria can serve as a model to help spread the message of God even further, we want to assist in any way we can.»

Regarding Maria’s reputation for holiness, her father, Brian, pointed to her capacity to live heroically with cancer until its natural end — a life that can be summarized by four key themes. Maria was secure in her identity as a daughter of Almighty God. She also understood that our freedom allows us to choose our attitude toward circumstances beyond our control; thus, «she chose gratitude over anger, meaning over victimhood, and hope over despair.» She held the conviction that «her purpose was, is, and always will be to know, love, and serve God, by serving others in this world and, ultimately, to be eternally happy with Him in Heaven. Her purpose never changed, not even upon receiving a terminal diagnosis.» Furthermore, she cherished the highest ideals, as she «valued truth, beauty, and goodness.»

The Archbishop received the documents on June 22 in the presence of Maria’s parents, canon lawyers, and advisors from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Pastoral Center. The petition will also be submitted to the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

People from all over the world have reached out to the Middleton family, sharing stories of how Maria’s example helped them deepen their own faith and Christian commitment. «People are asking for her intercession, individuals whose lives have been touched by hers.» «And how very present and active she is in their lives,» Susan declared, noting that she provides them with «a model of hope.» She added, «It’s difficult for me because I want her here, but God had a different plan for her, and now I see that it is a greater plan. She doesn’t belong to me or to Brian; she belongs to (God) and to the world.»

«She herself was the greatest source of peace in her room,» recalled Father Simione Volavola, who supported the family during those times. As her illness progressed, she first lost her motor skills. Later, she lost the ability to hear, swallow, and speak, yet she never lost her inner peace or her hope.

Even throughout her illness, she thought of others. She also loved the music of Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers. When she received support from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, she didn’t ask for a gift for herself; instead, she directed it toward helping a girl in Uganda and her school.