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Linda Kniess, RN
Director of Health and Wellness Services
(706) 379-5160

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Health Insurance

Health & Wellness Services is not a full-service medical facility; therefore, students who need to see a doctor, require emergency room care, prescription medication, x-rays, laboratory tests or other specialty services are referred to off-campus providers. Because fees for such services are often very costly, Young Harris College encourages all students to be covered by a personal major medical health insurance plan; however, the College will not be offering a medical insurance policy to students this year.  If you do not have health insurance coverage, you might find the information below to be helpful as you investigate your insurance options.

Medical Insurance Guide for Students

This guide compiles information for students of all levels and ages, recent graduates, and parents who claim a student as their dependent. Take the time to navigate your coverage options, costs, and obligations in order to make an informed decision on an insurance plan.

Although going to school is a rewarding experience that prepares you for a better career, life as a student comes with unique financial challenges. Tuition costs are ever increasing while credit card debt and student loans are all too common financial burdens that young people assume in our present economy. As a member of a young, relatively healthy demographic, you may not even be thinking about paying for health coverage.

Being practical and prepared for medical insurance can only help you get through school. Health (including mental health) issues are a leading cause of college dropouts across the country. Without insurance, the costs associated with an unexpected illness, injury, or medical procedure dwarf the tuition or student loans you might have. Even a minor injury can put you in serious financial risk.

Discover Why You Need Health Insurance Now

Young adults (ages 19-29) are the least likely to be insured. They’re also an age group that’s much more likely to visit the hospital emergency room than any other group. An uninsured stay at the hospital due to accident, injury, or unexpected illness can cost you thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars. Health insurance can protect you from this liability and potential for bankruptcy or other devastating financial possibilities.

Planning for student health insurance used to be a relatively straightforward process, but with many parents losing their employer-sponsored plans, students now have to research their options. Healthcare costs are escalating dramatically every year, so make sure that you’re prepared by covering yourself and your dependents.

Know the Implications of the Affordable Care Act

In March 2010, the President signed into law the Affordable Care Act, putting comprehensive health insurance reforms into place. Through 2014, the Affordable Care Act will continue to be implemented, increasing access to affordable healthcare for many individuals, families, and businesses. It will also change the marketplace for health insurance. One of the biggest changes is that, starting in January 2014, individuals who qualify will receive financial aid to help them buy their own insurance.

The following changes took effect in September 2010:

  •  Protection from rate increases
  • Protection from canceled insurance
  • More coverage for preventive care (checkups, for example)
  • No lifetime caps on benefits

You can study these changes in further depth through the government’s health insurance site.

First Things First: Understand Insurance Terminology

Below are some common terms you’ll encounter as you research your choices:

  • Premium: the periodic payment required to keep an insurance policy in effect. A plan with a lower premium usually comes attached to a higher deductible, and vice versa.
  • Deductible: The portion that you pay before insurance coverage begins. Keep in mind that your monthly premium and co-payments often don’t count toward your deductible.
  • Co-insurance: The percentage you pay when your health plan doesn’t cover 100% of your medical costs. You’ll also see co-insurance described as percentage participation, which applies after your specified deductible is met.
  • Co-payment (co-pay): Your share of a specific healthcare bill charged at the time of service. For example, you may have a co-pay of $20 when you visit a doctor’s office. If you anticipate visiting the doctor’s office frequently, choose a plan with an affordable and consistent co-payment.
  • HMOs: Short for Health Maintenance Organizations. These are organizations that provide or arrange care for insured individuals and groups.
  • PPOs: Short for Preferred Provider Organizations. PPOs are managed care organizations of medical doctors, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers that have contracted with insurance providers to provide care at reduced cost.

Explore All Your Insurance Options

Before investing in a potentially expensive independent insurance plan, be sure to explore all your options, including your parents’ plan, school-sponsored plans, non-school-sponsored student plans, insurance through professional associations, Medicaid, state high-risk pools, short-term health insurance, COBRA, low-cost health services, and insurance designed for international students.

Stay on your parents’ health insurance plan.

If your parents have an employer-sponsored insurance plan, or another insurance plan that covers children, you are eligible for coverage until the age of 26, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Staying on your parents’ plan has some major advantages, including convenience, as the billing and claims may already be handled by your parents. You also can’t be declined for coverage because of medical reasons.

You should know, however, that if you go to school in a different state, your coverage levels may be decreased. Your parents’ plan may also be more expensive than other options, such as school-sponsored insurance. Get the most accurate information pertaining to your situation by contacting your parents’ employer or insurance company.

Get coverage from a school-sponsored plan.

Colleges and universities around the country understand that students need health insurance to be successful in school. Check with your school to see if it has a health services department or clinic, as well as a student health insurance plan.

Generally, student health insurance plans cover students who are enrolled full time. There are certain advantages to student health plans, too. Designed with students in mind, they tend to be more affordable than other individual insurance plans available on the private market. These plans also let you receive care from campus clinics or hospitals.

However, these school-sponsored plans may not cover medical services rendered off-campus. Particular plans may even restrict benefits. There’s also a big loophole that catches many students who don’t fully understand the terms of their plans: If you drop below a required number of credit hours per term, or withdraw from classes, even if it’s due to health issues like injury or depression)m you may instantly lose your coverage. Check with your school’s student resources office for more information.

Ask about student health insurance plans (non-school-sponsored).

There’s a variety of health insurance plans available to students that are offered from non-educational organizations and providers. Generally, these options are available for full-time students between the ages of 17 and 29 at a state-accredited college or university.

Unlike school-sponsored plans, coverage travels with you if you transfer to a school in a different state. However, these plans may be more expensive than certain individual coverage plans, so be sure to shop around before you commit. You may also need to pay your premium in a large lump-sum amount. Until healthcare reform is completely implemented in 2014, you might still be declined based on medical history. These plans also might not be available in some states, so check with a licensed insurance agent to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Leverage professional associations.

There are plenty of professional and fraternal associations that also offer health insurance to their members, but policies vary between organizations. As an example, undergraduate and graduate students studying archaeology or cultural, linguistic, biological, or forensic anthropology are all eligible to join the American Anthropological Association at a subsidized student rate. As a member, you’ll then be eligible to participate in its health insurance program, which offers services with rates based on your age and other information.

Start by searching for professional organizations based on your subject of study and professional goals. Educate yourself about the provisions of coverage, as well as the costs. Some association plans have a very limited payment schedule, and you’ll still be responsible for all costs associated with the scheduled amount.

Health insurance through Medicaid.

In the United States, Medicaid is a program that offers assistance to individuals and families with low income and resources. Although it is jointly funded by state and federal governments, the program is administered by the states. If you are a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, have a low family income, are overwhelmed by high medical bills, or have a disability, you may qualify for Medicaid. To determine your eligibility for Medicaid, check with your state’s department of insurance.

The Affordable Care Act will also expand Medicaid eligibility to include all Americans under the age of 65 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level, including adults without dependent children.

Find health coverage through your state’s health insurance pool.

Many states have resources available to provide special health coverage plans for certain residents. These people include those who cannot afford health insurance, those who have been denied coverage from a private insurance company, or those who do not qualify for Medicaid. Check this list of states with state and federal high-risk health insurance programs.

Coverage options are generally very similar to traditional health insurance options available on an individual level. While details vary state to state, you’ll find comprehensive major medical plans with a range of deductible options. Most high-risk pools offer coverage of prescription drugs, maternity, mental health, and substance abuse.

Unlike individual student or school-sponsored health insurance programs, these plans do not require you to be enrolled full time to qualify. You’ll be able to maintain coverage under your plan even if you drop to part-time status, take time off from school, or finish your studies.

Short-term health insurance:

With this kind of non-renewable and relatively inexpensive plan, you are provided coverage ranging from 30 days to six months. These plans are advantageous for those transitioning between jobs, those ineligible for COBRA rights, or those visiting a school from another state or country.

COBRA for students:

Students who have turned 26 and are no longer eligible for coverage under their parents’ health insurance may be eligible for COBRA. There are other categories that allow individuals to be eligible for temporary coverage, with special rules that apply for extended coverage for disabled students. Check with the U.S. Department of Labor’s website for more information.

Low-cost treatment options

If you find yourself uninsured but still need treatment, try finding a federally community health center near your school. These community health centers exist in both urban and rural areas. They provide care to people without health insurance and offer sliding scale fees (fees that are more affordable for those who can demonstrate they have a low income).

Community health centers offer many of the services offered at other physician’s clinics, like routine physical checkups, triage and treatment of illness, maternity care, immunizations and pediatric care, and assessment and treatment of mental health problems.

States and organizations have different criteria for offering these low-cost treatment options, so you’ll need to contact individual community health centers for accurate information. To determine if you qualify for services, find and contact a community health center near you.

Information for international students

There are student insurance plans written specifically for international students and those who are studying, performing research, or visiting the United States on educational business. Some are also for U.S. students who have planned to live or study abroad during their academic career.

Most schools offer academic and personal advising services for international students, often through an office for international student affairs. If school-sponsored insurance isn’t available for international students, the school may be able to advise you on private insurance options.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) requires that all Exchange Visitors in J-1 Status maintain insurance for themselves and their dependents while in the United States. It is recommended that students in F-1 status also maintain insurance.

Individual Health Insurance Plans

Everyone is eligible to apply for individual health insurance coverage, including those who have recently graduated, are taking time off from their studies, or are waiting for school to begin. In many states, you’ll have a lot of affordable options with a range of benefits to choose from.

Unlike student health insurance plans offered by some schools, your coverage will continue even if you have to drop classes or take time off from school. However, you can still be declined coverage because of your medical history until the Affordable Care Act is fully in place in 2014.

Discover different types of insurance

You need to understand the difference between catastrophic and comprehensive health insurance plans. It’s an important distinction, because there’s a difference in premiums and coverage, and you may be penalized for pre-existing conditions (like cancer or a serious injury)

Catastrophic insurance

  • Catastrophic insurance plans generally have lower premiums than comprehensive insurance plans.
  • Your deductible per medical occurrence will be higher than that of comprehensive insurance plans.
  • If you move to another health insurance plan that has a pre-existing condition waiting period (which is generally nine months), you will be responsible for the entire cost of care for any pre-existing conditions. This can have disastrous financial consequences.

Comprehensive insurance

  • Comprehensive insurance plans generally have higher premiums than catastrophic insurance plans.
  • Your deductible will be less than it would be under a catastrophic insurance plan.
  • Your time spent covered under a comprehensive health insurance plan will be credited toward the pre-existing condition waiting period (again, generally up to nine months.) In healthcare, this is called creditable coverage.

You’ll need to consider and decide which out-of-pocket expenses you are willing to pay for your plan. In addition to the monthly premium, you will also need to cover your deductibles and co-insurance and/or co-payments, which may be described as out-of-pocket expenses or cost sharing on your insurance bills and other materials.) HMOs, PPOs, and other traditional fee-for-service insurance plans administer cost sharing policies differently, so be sure to read the fine print before you decide.

Ask yourself the following questions as you consider your options

There’s a myriad of choices and complexities in the health insurance marketplace. By doing your research and answering the following questions, you’ll minimize your chance of overpayment:

  • Should I use an HMO or PPO?
    • HMOs generally have lower premiums, but fewer choices of medical providers because patients must remain within their network for healthcare. Additionally, special services like MRIs or CT scans have to be approved in advance by the insurance company. You’ll find that your doctor and your insurance provider have to agree on a plan for your healthcare before treatment can be given.
    • PPOs provide a greater choice of providers, but have higher premiums. Generally, the doctor is the only person who makes decisions about your healthcare, and preadmission isn’t necessary for special services.
  • Is your doctor and hospital of choice in the network?
    • Each insurance provider has a different network, so you’ll need to be sure to check your insurer’s website for medical professionals and clinical services that are covered. Inquire which hospitals around your school are in the network.
    • Do your research to find an in-network doctor nearby whose philosophy and reputation appeal to you.
  • Do you have any medical conditions or specific medical needs? Not all plans cover the same medical issues. Below are just a few of the services that may not be covered by all plans:
    • Alcohol and drug treatment
    • Ambulances
    • Annual doctor’s exams
    • Chiropractics
    • Dentistry
    • Emergency room and urgent care visits
    • Holistic medicine
    • Inpatient care
    • Mental Health
    • Outpatient hospital care
    • Nutrition
    • Podiatry
    • Pre-existing conditions
    • Prescription drugs
  • Do you need an insurance plan that covers you alone, or do you need a plan for you, your spouse or partner, and/or your children? Plans and costs vary considerably based on the number of individuals covered.
    • Even if you select private insurance for yourself, your children may be eligible for enrollment.
    • Coverage for domestic partners varies depending on provider and the state. Make sure to find out if the program will insure your partner before committing to a plan.

Appealing a health insurance claim

If your health insurer denied you coverage for medical care you have received, you still have the right to appeal the claim and ask that the company reverse the decision. Take advantage of these tips to improve your chances of winning an appeal:

1.    Review the literature that accompanies your policy and its explanation of benefits.
2.    Contact the insurance company and keep detailed records of your attempts to contact them (which may include copies of letters, times and dates of conversations in person or on the phone).
3.    Request documentation from your doctor, employer, or student health practitioners on campus to support your case.
4.    Write a formal letter that details what care was denied and why you are appealing the decision through the company’s internal review process.
5.    If your claim fails the internal appeal, you can file a claim with your state’s department of insurance.

Learn from These Case Studies

There is no single solution to health insurance that fits everyone’s financial and health situation. You’ll need to do so some serious reflection about your health habits, your needs, and your (and your parents’) finances before you sign on to an insurance plan. Below are some case studies that demonstrate the kinds of questions you’ll need to ask yourself as you shop for an insurance plan that suits your needs.

Monica is a 20-year-old undergraduate environmental science major. She’s very health- and diet-conscious and rarely gets sick, but she also understands that her favorite activities (rock climbing, base jumping, and spelunking) all carry significant risk of injury. She’s studying at a small school that doesn’t offer its own health plan. Monica should consider the following options:

  • Her parents’ plan
  • An individual plan with a low premium and higher deductible that doesn’t cover things like prescription medication or maternity benefits. By reading the fine print and finding the right plan, she can save her parents money while having coverage just in case she gets injured.

Bill is a relatively healthy 22 year old from Michigan studying in California at a large state school. He sees the doctor about five times a year, but doesn’t have family resources he can rely on. While his university offers a health coverage plan, it still won’t cover him during breaks or the summer when he returns home. Bill’s options include the following:

  • His parents’ plan
  • An individual health insurance plan with a low deductible and affordable co-payments that provides out-of-state coverage at an acceptable rate
  • An individually purchased student health plan that provides the same level of coverage whether he has to see the doctor in Michigan or California.

Jennifer and Pedro are married and are now both graduate students at a private university in New York City. They’re very healthy and are planning on having children soon. This means they won’t have a lot of extra income, especially because living in the city while making tuition payments is difficult. Their options include the following:

  • A university graduate student health plan, after verifying that it provides coverage for maternity care and early childhood care
  • A family plan with the same benefits that is comparable in cost to the university’s graduate student health plan, and that will continue to provide coverage once they complete their studies.

Other Helpful Student Health Insurance Resources

For more information, contact the Office of Health and Wellness Services.

Health & Wellness Services

Linda Kniess, RN
Director of Health and Wellness Services
(706) 379-5160


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The National Catholic Review
We need diverse models of discipleship.

For some time, Anglican churches have been expanding their calendars of saints to include notable religious leaders and thinkers who are not, and probably would not be, officially designated as saints by the Catholic Church. The Church of Englands calendar, for example, includes great leaders like William Wilberforce (an opponent of the slave trade), Bartolomeo de las Casas (a Dominican defender of Native Americans), C. S. Lewis (an apologist), Florence Nightingale (a nurse and social reformer) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a theologian and Hitler-resister).

The list is replete with poets like John Donne, George Herbert and Christina Rosetti. It also contains many Catholic saints of recent vintage, like the anti-British Joan of Arc, and post-Reformation Catholics, like Philip Neri, Francis de Sales and John Bosco. With the inclusion of figures like John Henry Newman and Charles de la Foucauld, moreover, it even anticipates the official Catholic canonization process.

In recent years we have also seen books, like Robert Ellsbergs All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets and Other Witnesses for Our Time (Orbis, 1997) and My Life With the Saints, by James Martin, S.J. (Loyola 2006), that mix the lives of saints with those of uncanonized figures. And modern-day icons have also proved highly popular, like those produced by Bridgebuilding Icons of Burlington, Vt., which depict images of saints not well known today, like Aelred of Rievaulx, as well as highly popular but not yet canonized saints like Oscar Romero and Dorothy Day.

Martyrial Ecumenism

Even official Catholic observances have shared in this trend. During the Jubilee of 2000 Pope John Paul II chose to honor Protestant as well as Catholic martyrs of the 20th century as a matter of common witness. In a 1995 visit to Slovakia for the beatification of three Catholic martyrs, he acknowledged Protestants executed by Catholics in the Counter-Reformation:

How can we fail to acknowledge, for example, the spiritual greatness of twenty-four members of the evangelical churches who were killed at Presov? To them and to all who accepted suffering and death out of fidelity to the dictates of their conscience the church gives praise and expresses admiration.

To underscore his words, John Paul also paid silent homage to these martyrs at a monument to their memory in the city square of Presov. Some have referred to this as John Pauls martyrial ecumenism. Indeed, in his address on the occasion he declared that the witness of Christian martyrs of all denominations in the 20th century is a heritage which speaks more powerfully than all the causes of division. The ecumenism of the martyrs and the witnesses to the faith is the most convincing of all; to the Christians of the 21st century it shows the path to unity.

These developments in liturgy, devotional reading, popular piety and official ecumenism suggest a desire to honor a wider range of Christians and religious leaders of other traditions than any traditional martyrology or calendar of saints does. The existing official collections, even when expanded to include more lay people, married people and non-Europeans, still do not honor the many men and women who have nurtured our faith, witnessed in an eminent way to the Gospel or strengthened the life of the church.

Martyrs were the earliest saints, and martyrologies like the listing in the Roman Canon were the earliest lists of saints. Memories of such sacrifices are important in the formation of Christians and of the Christian community. They keep us mindful of the value of our faith. As long as we recall our martyrs, taking up the cross remains more than a scriptural metaphor for enduring the little inconveniences of life. Believers learn that witnessing to the Gospel has been personally costly and that, whatever the security of our local church today, we ultimately live in a vale of tears.

As Peter Brown relates in The Cult of the Saints (Univ. Chicago, 1980) and as every reader of Ellis Peterss Brother Cadfael mysteries knows, the cult of the saints that originated with the veneration of martyrs remains brought standing to the community and locale associated with their lives, their sufferings and their miracles. Today as well, a canonization of Opus Deis Josémaria Escrivá or Mother Teresa of Calcutta lends legitimacy and prestige to their followers, validating their styles of spirituality and the distinctive charisms of their foundations. The teachings of theologians and the writings of mystics also receive greater standing when their authors are publicly honored as saints. In the churchs liturgy, official recognition also attests to the intercessory power of the saint.

Models of Holiness

The first Western saint who was neither a martyr nor a confessor (someone who suffered imprisonment and torture for the faith) was St. Martin of Tours, a soldier convert who became a monk, bishop and missionary. The pre- and post-Vatican II sacramentaries recognize a variety of saints: doctors (that is, teachers), pastors, kings and queens, virgins and religious, missionaries and so on. In our own day, a principal motive for naming new saints has been to provide accessible models of the Christian life. That is why Pope John Paul II was set on canonizing so many lay people and people from a wide range of nationalities. He canonized 483 people and beatified more than 1,300, more than all who had been so recognized between the the Council of Trent and the beginning of his pontificate.

In his book The Catholic Heritage (Crossroad, 1985), Lawrence Cunningham has provided historical surveys of different types of Christians: soldiers, theologians, mystics, monks, reformers and social workers, to name a few. The different kinds of exemplary Christians suggest how rich the company of saints is. The terminology of sanctity keeps expanding even for martyrs. People now speak of martyrs for nonviolence, martyrs of charity (like Maximilian Kolbe, who was killed in place of an intended victim) and martyrs for human dignity (like Archbishop Romero and Bishop Juan Gerardi of Guatemala, who were killed for their defense of human rights). The Jesuit sacramentary contains prayers for victims of Christian disunity.

Sanctity as Conversion

In an earlier book, The Meaning of Saints (Harper &Row 1980), Cunningham proposed that the exemplary character of sainthood is the most important consideration for people today. That is not to dismiss the intercessory role or the place of the miracles, but to say that saints are of greatest interest to us as models of discipleship. No devotion to the saints is more acceptable to God, Erasmus wrote, than the imitation of their virtues. Do you want to honor St. Francis? Then give away your wealth to the poor, restrain your evil impulses, and see in everyone you meet the image of Christ.

Cunningham refers to secular saintsmen or women of no evident faith or even professed nonbelievers who possess such integrity of life, such uncompulsive and tolerant clarity of vision and such subordination of their own interests to the service of humanity that the only word that comes close to describing them is saint. While not Christian (in The Catholic Heritage he calls them outsiders), they appear to others to be Christlike. As an example he cites Dr. Rieux, the protagonist in Albert Camuss novel The Plague. I have known individuals who, while their lack of faith puzzled me, led lives of such goodness that, for lack of another word, they could only be described as holy.

The phenomenon of the secular saint prompts one to ask, what is sanctity? In general, I would suggest, holiness consists in integrity of life, such a thoroughgoing goodness that it seems to exceed all deliberate human effort. For that reason, even incidental flaws in ones biography may raise questions about an individuals holiness. Blessed Charles de Foucauld, a French soldier of fortune turned desert solitary, inspired several distinctive religious congregations of Little Brothers and Sisters and is nearly universally admired, but the fact that he supplied information on German troop movements in Africa to his French countrymen during the First World War is thought to have impeded for many years his march to canonization.

A Test of Orthodoxy?

There is a canard that if you anticipate being canonized (or being made a bishop), you should commit nothing to writing. For a confessional memoir or a theological doubt put in print is likely to hold up ones process. In my view, such impediments are secondary. During the Reformation, Brad Gregory explains in Salvation at Stake (Harvard Univ. Press, 2001), a virtuous life over time and a courageous, holy death were eventually devalued as tests of martyrdom, and orthodoxy became the ultimate test of a true martyr. At other times, however, suspicions of heresy were no bar to sainthood. Some of the positions of St. Thomas Aquinas, for example, were formally condemned in his day; and more recently we have Pope John Paul honoring the witness of Protestant martyrs of the Reformation. What really is at stake in naming saints, it seems to me, is the holiness of a life. How thoroughly converted was a person?

Christians may be admirable for a variety of qualities and still be flawed. St. Jerome, for example, appears to me to be a saint by virtue of the Med-iterranean big man theology: if you are a larger-than-life personality with enough devoted followers and powerful connections, on your death you are named a saint. Despite all his learning, his devotion to Scripture and holy places, as well as his austerities, Jerome was irascible, ever ready to engage in controversy. Except for the churchs tradition, it would be very hard for me to think of him as a saint. As I see it, sanctity involves a completeness of conversion that Jerome, with his tempestuous temperament, did not exhibit (See John W. Donohue, Holy Terrors, America, 5/13/1995).

We can identify other saintly figures with possible flaws. Mother Teresa, despite her service of the poor, was criticized by Christopher Hitchens and others for her refusal to engage issues of justice. We might also consider Reinhold Niebuhr, as influential a theologian as we had in 20th-century America and a thinker from whom we still learn. One of the great puzzles of Niebuhrs life, however, is how with every shift of his political ideas and commitments, he turned his back on his old friends. In that respect, there seems to have been something hard in him that was neither humane nor holy.

Or think of the proponents of nonviolence whose anger against the military or adherents of the just war theory mars their commitment to peace. Christianity is the central fact in the lives of all these Christians, but their lives are flawed in this respect: certain dimensions of their personalities have not been converted. They are saints in the generic sense that they belong among those who have been saved by Christ; they model certain Christian virtues. They may have made great contributions to the life of the church, but their sanctification still seems lacking in some significant way.

Neurotic Saints

This is not to say that flawed people cannot become recognized saints. Saints have their faults. John Berchmans, one of the Jesuit boy saints, quipped that his greatest cross was the common life. (Todays Jesuits say his brothers probably felt the same way about John.) We all are sinners, but the notion of sanctity involves such thoroughgoing conversion that Christ shines through despite our faults and weaknesses.

Are there neurotic saints? I think so. St. Francis of Assisi was not called pazzo, crazy, for nothing. But whatever great things we may have done, whatever little way we may have followed, or whatever our failings, the final test is whether others can perceive that we are new men and women in Christ. Two of the Jesuit North American martyrs, Jean de Brébeuf and Noel Chabanel, illustrate the point.

Brébeuf was a hearty Norman peasant who could best his Native American captors in paddling a canoe or playing their games. He was generally admired and so brave in facing death that his slayers cut out his heart and ate it in testimony to his courage. Chabanel, by contrast, was an aristocrat who felt out of place among the tribes. Everything about their life grated on him, and he acutely feared torture and death, but he too is venerated as a saint. Even today, Brébeuf is the more appealing character; but because Chabanel endured his life and death for Christ, we regard him also as a saint.

A saint can have great human weaknesses but even in them be made holy. One reason asceticism played such a strong role in traditional Catholic spirituality was that it was considered evidence of the desire to convert. While Chabanels martyrdom makes the issue somewhat moot, his struggle to overcome his inbred fastidiousness and his natural revulsion at the natives way of life demonstrates a heroic desire to love the people to whom he had been sent.

Mother Teresas cause rose in my estimation when I learned some years ago, prior to the publication of Mother Teresa: Come, Be My Light (Doubleday 2007), that after the mystical experiences that led Mother Teresa to found the Missionaries of Charity, she prayed without consolation for the rest of her life. An exceptionally dedicated life of service, like hers, shows a deep level of conversion when it is done in the midst of the dark night. Saints are women and men we regard as thoroughly converted, especially in the way they have dealt with their own failings and weaknesses.

So when we look to saints and martyrs today as models for ourselves, we should find not only men and women of virtue for us to emulate, but also flawed human beings, whose personal struggles to respond to Gods grace in their weakness led to the transformation of their characters. For us these women and men are tests of our own willingness to be thoroughly converted. How we are conformed to Christ in our weakness is the test of holiness for us all.

Drew Christiansen, S.J., is the editor in chief of America. This article is an adaptation of a paper given at the second Mennonite-Catholic Martyrs Conference at Saint Johns Abbey, Collegeville, Minn., in 2003, and published in Martyrdom in

THOMAS FARRELLY | 12/17/2010 - 2:32pm
"So when we look to saints and martyrs today as models for ourselves..."

It would be much easier for us laymen to look to them as models if they were not all clergymen.
What percent of those being considered are lay men and women?  Preferably in the world of work and raising children, like most of us.

Recently by Drew Christiansen

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Amsterdam News 2012 Year in review: January to June

1/2/2013, 5:08 p.m.
January As the year begins, concerns are raised over new voter ID laws in some...
Amsterdam News 2012 Year in review: January to June

  • As the year begins, concerns are raised over new voter ID laws in some states that threaten to block Blacks and other groups from polls during the presidential election.
  • The Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers can't agree on how to evaluate teachers' performance, leading to $60 million of federal funds being lost.
  • Now in the second year of his first term as New York state governor, Andrew Cuomo unveils a $25 billion economic blueprint for New York during his State of the State address.
  • As efforts continue to bring more diversity to the New York City Fire Department, members from the Vulcan Society go door to door to follow up with applicants who applied to be firefighters.
  • Republicans in Washington aim to cut $900 million to Pell Grants, which 50 percent of Black college students use to pay for college.
  • Black CNN anchor T.J. Holmes announces he is leaving the news network to work for BET.
  • Judge Robert L. Carter passes at age 94.
  • Two years since the earthquake in Haiti that killed over 300,000 people, the country still struggles to recover. Those living in the area report non-governmental organizations are slowing the progress and the money that was donated is not being spent.
  • Assemblyman Thomas Boyland and his chief of staff plead not guilty on corruption charges.
  • Martin Luther King Day is celebrated with awareness about the attack on voting rights laws.
  • Power couple Beyonce Knowles and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter give birth to their first child, Blue Ivy Carter.
  • Assemblyman Karim Kamara introduces a bill to end the use of testing as the sole criteria for admission of specialized public high schools, citing that it keep students of color out.
  • Filmmaker George Lucas releases the film "Red Tails" about the Tuskegee Airmen starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard.
  • Mayor Michael Bloomberg focuses on education, unemployment and minimum wage in his next-to-last State of the City address.
  • Police fatally shoot 26-year-old Duane Brown of East New York, Brooklyn, after he rushs down the stairs of his home to investigate a push-in robbery.
  • On the campaign trail, President Barack Obama comes to Harlem for a fundraiser at the Apollo Theater, where he raises $3 million.
  • The Rev. Jesse Jackson hosts his 15th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit in the city.
  • The slavery miniseries "Roots" commemorates its 35th anniversary.
  • Black actresses Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis win outstanding lead and supporting actress awards at the SAG Awards for their roles in the film "The Help."
  • A report released by the City University of New York and the DOE reveals that only 13 percent of Black students in public school are college-ready.
  • The NYPD arrests 43 gang members in Brownsville, Brooklyn, from two rival gangs in what they call "Operation Tidal Wave."
  • Singer Etta James dies at age 73. She is best known for the hit song "At Last."
  • Obama delivers his State of the Union address.
  • The DOE announces the closure of 33 schools due to low performance
  • Liberation Bookstore owner Una G. Mulza passes at age 88.
  • U.S. House Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona announces her resignation from office to focus on her recovery after surviving an attempted assassination.