One of the most interesting websites I’ve seen in a long time is Find a Grave, which lists the famous (and some not so famous) people buried near you. There I discovered a fascinating (and touching) entry on actress Maude Adams (1872-1953), who’s buried at the Cenacle Convent in Ronkonkoma. But she wasn’t a nun, or even a Catholic. Born a Mormon in Utah, she started on the stage at an early age. By the time of World War I,... Read more

Today marks the birth of Demetrius Gallitzin (1770-1840), a Russian aristocrat who became a missionary in Pennsylvania during the nation’s early years. As a young man he converted to Catholicism. While he was visiting America he decided to stay and become a priest. In 1795 he became the first priest ordained in the U.S. who received minor and major orders here. With his own money, he founded a settlement for Catholics in western Pennsylvania in 1799, which he named Loretto.... Read more

Today marks the death of Isaac Hecker (1819-1888), the Thomas Merton of his era: a youth whose spiritual journey led him to Catholicism and the priesthood, and became a bestselling author on religious topics. Born in Manhattan, he was looking for a church that offered “the full range of the Christian experience.” Baptized a Catholic in 1844 and ordained a priest in 1849, he concluded that his vocation was to reach out to “a certain class of persons among whom... Read more

Thomas Nast (1849-1902) is the father of the American political cartoon. He’s also the creator of the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey. A hater of injustice, his cartoons advocated the rights of Native Americans and African-Americans. But there was one group he had no tolerance for: the Catholic Church, which he considered a fomentor of urban political corruption. This 1875 Harper’s Weekly cartoon, “The American River Ganges,” shows Catholic Bishops invading American shores, ready to gobble up little Protestant schoolchildren... Read more

The Dominican Fathers in Washington, D.C., have created a great blog devoted to the order’s history. Check it out here. It’s a magnifcent resource on all things Dominican, national and international, replete with video and audio resources. I’m looking forward to reading more of it, because I’m sorry to say I don’t know as much about their history as I’d like. This is a great way to learn! I hope that more orders and communities will do likewise. What the... Read more

Today is the Feast of St. Peter Canisius (1521-1597), who is best known for his work in sixteenth century Germany. He was the first Dutch Jesuit (former Jesuit General Peter Hans Kolvenbach is among the more recent). Ordained in 1546, he taught in the first-ever Jesuit school, started in Messina in 1548. In 1549, Pope Paul III sent him to lead Counter-Reformation efforts in Germany. He was very successful, so much that he became known as the “Second Apostle of... Read more

During the 1800’s, the Vincentians made some significant contributions to the American hierarchy: Joseph Rosati in St. Louis, Leo De Neckere in New Orleans, Jean Marie Odin in Texas, John Timon and Stephen Vincent Ryan in Buffalo. Today marks the birth of Thaddeus Amat (1811-1878), second Bishop of Monterey, which was created in 1850 as California’s first diocese. Born in Spain, he was ordained a Vincentian priest in Paris in 1837. Coming to America in 1838, he worked in Missouri... Read more

An interesting if little known figure in Church History is a French Ursuline named Marie of the Incarnation (1599-1672), a mystic and an activist who worked as a missionary in Canada. A widow at an early age, she got interested in the missions after reading about the work of the Jesuits. After raising a son, she decided to become a missionary at a time when most people are retiring. She wasn’t naïve about what lay in store for her: “I... Read more

Along with Church History, the Civil War has been a big interest of mine ever since I can remember. So I try to wrap the topics together whenever I get the chance. I knew that a number of Civil War veterans had joined the priesthood, but I never heard of any generals taking this route. That is, until I came across the case of General William Olmsted, who was ordained a priest at age 65. This item is from the... Read more

Father John W. O’Malley is a Jesuit historian teaching at Georgetown University. He’s one of the best Church historians around (and he’s also a really nice person). If you’re interested in the history of the Jesuits and what makes them tick, I can’t do better than recommend his 1993 book The First Jesuits. Over at the Deacon’s Bench, Deacon Greg Kandra has a nice posting about his new book on the history of Vatican II. I’m looking forward to reading... Read more