Swords into Plowshares

America has a hero problem. Ancient peoples reserved hero status for elites who lived up to a high standard of excellence. Modern heroism has, by contrast, replaced high standards of excellence with an acknowledgement of personal standards of excellence. America’s hero problem lies in its rejection of ancient heroism as too aristocratic and modern heroism as unsatisfying. Catholic teaching, however, especially on the communion of saints, is often missing from discourse on heroism. Sainthood bears elements of both the high standards of excellence associated with ancient heroism and the egalitarianism associated with modern heroism to orient people to Christ and the truly heroic.