Cardinal Newman once wrote that “the outburst of saints in 1500-1600 after the monstrous corruption” of the Renaissance papacy was “one of the great arguments for Christianity.” Today is the Feast of St. Angela Merici (1474-1540), foundress of the Ursulines, the first women’s teaching order. Born in Italy near Brescia, at age 22 she gathered a group of laywomen to teach religion to young girls. She converted her childhood home into a school. Her reputation spread throughout Italy. In November... Read more

Today marks the death of Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis (1871-1927), Bishop and founder of three religious communities. Born in Lithuania, he joined the Marian Fathers and was ordained in 1898. He earned a doctorate in Theology at the University of Fribourg and was a theology professor until he was named Bishop of Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1918. A noted preacher and spiritual director, he founded the Congregation of Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the Sisters Servants of the Jesus in the Eucharist,... Read more

Today marks the death of Blessed Paul Joseph Nardini (1821-1862), priest and founder of a religious community. Born to a single mother in Germany, he was raised by his aunt and uncle. After studying at the University of Munich, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Speyer in 1846. For the next sixteen years he worked as a parish priest. In 1855 he founded the Franciscan Sisters of the Holy Family to teach poor children and care for... Read more

During the 1960’s, the New York Daily News carried a column titled “I Remember Old Brooklyn.” In it, ex-Brooklynites wrote in with their reminiscences about life in the borough during the 1920’s, World War I, the Gaslight era, and even earlier. One correspondent recalled Civil War veteran parades in the 1880’s! Here a Mr. Edward Richards recalls going to Catholic school in Williamsburg during the 1910’s. (Click on the picture to read the article.) Today many ex-Brooklynite websites describe life... Read more

Today marks the death of Hans Ansgar Reinhold (1907-1968), a German born priest who took a leading role in the Liturgical Movement. Begun in late 19th century Europe, the movement made its way to America in the 1920’s. Its purpose was twofold: to make the liturgy more attuned to early Christian traditions, and to make it more relevant to modern Christian life. One of its major themes was the connection between the liturgy and social action. Born in Hamburg, he... Read more

Today marks the death of Dietrich von Hildebrand (1889-1977), philosopher and academic. The son of a prominent sculptor, he grew up in Florence and returned to Germany to study philosophy. In 1912 he received his doctorate from the University of Göttingen. He converted to Catholicism in 1914, and during World War I he served in a military hospital. He later taught at the University of Munich. His opposition to National Socialism was well known, and he left Germany when Hitler... Read more

New York City’s public schools were started in 1805 by the Public School Society, a Protestant evangelical group. The school day began with prayers, hymns, and Bible readings. However, the school textbooks had a strong anti-Catholic bias. In history, students read that “general ignorance” and “general corruption” characterized Catholic Europe. They also read that “superstition prevails not only at Rome but in all the states of Church,” and Catholics were “destitute of true devotion.” School libraries carried books like The... Read more

Today marks the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. This year’s theme is “Catholic Schools Celebrate Service.” The story of Catholic schools in America begins in 1640, when a layman named Roger Crouch founded the first in Maryland. Over the next 150 years growth was slow, because of the anti-Catholic legislation in many colonies. New York City’s first Catholic School was founded in 1800, at St. Peter’s on Barclay Street. In 1823 Brooklyn got its first Catholic school, St. James. School... Read more

The history of African-American Catholics is the story of a group of people who kept the faith alive for decades with little institutional support and often without the benefit of clergy. Today marks the death of Jules DeWeever (1871-1940), an early leader of Brooklyn’s Black Catholic community. Born in the Dutch West Indies, as a young man he emigrated to New York, where he worked for the Post Office. In April 1915 he organized the Colored Catholic Club, a group... Read more

Today marks the death of George Nauman Shuster (1894-1977), author, editor, public official and college president. Born in Wisconsin, he graduated from Notre Dame in 1915. During World War I, he served with the U.S. Army in Europe. Afterward he returned to Notre Dame, where he earned a master’s degree in English and joined the faculty. He headed the English department until 1924, when he moved to New York to begin doctoral studies at Columbia. There he taught English at... Read more