While there are a handful of male saints called the "Great," Catholic tradition has only identified a single woman as "the Great."
When looking through the list of saints in the Catholic Church, there are a handful who are called "the Great," such as St. Albert the Great, St. Gregory the Great, St. Anthony the Great, and St. Basil the Great.
Yet, there is only one woman to hold that title, St. Gertrude the Great.
Why is that?
Generally speaking, this title is given to a saint after reviewing their influence in the world and the Catholic Church. It is not a title given in an official ceremony, but one that develops with tradition. In our own day, some people refer to St. John Paul II as the Great.
The tradition develops in various ways. For example, St. Gregory I is known as "the Great" for his profound theological writings, strong Church leadership, and enduring contributions to the liturgy, such as Gregorian chant.
The title is also used to distinguish saints of the same names, identifying a particular saint as "the Great" who had the larger impact on the Church compared to a different saint of the same name. Of all the Leos, for example, only the first one is known as St. Leo the Great.
It is believed that Pope Benedict XIV during the 18th century was the first to identify St. Gertrude of Helfta as "St. Gertrude the Great."
He highly regarded her influence, but also wanted to distinguish her from St. Gertrude of Hackeborn, who also lived during the 13th century and was a German abbess.
Pope Benedict XVI similarly explained why she is known as "the Great" in a general audience in 2010:
She is one of the most famous mystics, the only German woman to be called "Great," because of her cultural and evangelical stature: her life and her thought had a unique impact on Christian spirituality. She was an exceptional woman, endowed with special natural talents and extraordinary gifts of grace, the most profound humility and ardent zeal for her neighbor's salvation. She was in close communion with God both in contemplation and in her readiness to go to the help of those in need.
The title "the Great," while sometimes used by the Vatican to identify a saint, can also be applied to someone unofficially. St. John Paul the Great is one such example, as the title has been widely used, but is not something written in official Church documents.
Additionally, while St. Gertrude may be the only woman officially known with that title, some call St. Teresa of Avila "St. Teresa the Great," but this is not as widespread and a pope has never used it publicly. This is a case of a helpful distinguishing of names, as a number of other holy Teresas -- notably Thérèse of Lisieux and Mother Teresa -- are beloved.
It is possible and even probable that in the future more female saints will receive the title "the Great," to differentiate them from saints of the same name and to recognize their contribution to the Church.
