Laying the Corner Stone of a Catholic Church.The Brooklyn Eagle, July 18, 1853 Yesterday afternoon the corner stone of a Catholic church, dedicated to St. Mary, “star of the sea,” corner of Court and Luqueer streets, was laid with the usual ceremonies, His Grace Archbishop Hughes being present, and officiating on the occasion. The ceremonies were announced to commence at 4 o’clock, P.M., but it was near 6 o’clock before the Archbishop arrived. A vast crowd had assembled, consisting of... Read more

Back in England in 1859, Blessed John Henry Newman was having a conversation with Birmingham Bishop William Ullathorne, when the topic of laypeople in the Church arose. As Newman recalled the conversation, Ullathorne asked rhetorically, “Who are the laity?” Newman replied that “the Church would look foolish without them.” This new blog feature proposes to highlight individual lay men and women from across the country. None achieved great fame in their lifetime, but they did make an important contribution to... Read more

 St. Ann’s Academy was founded on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1892. During its early years it doubled as a military academy, as this 1914 photo of the students in vintage Civil War uniforms indicates. In 1957, the school was relocated to the Briarwood section of Queens and renamed Archbishop Molloy High School. However, its students still call themselves “Stanners.” Its alumni include actor Carroll O’Connor and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Comedian Ray Romano also briefly attended the school.)... Read more

Here’s an answer from The Brooklyn Eagle, October 18, 1890: In each parish there is a pastor and one, two or three assistants, according to the size and needs of the congregation. Mass has to be said every morning, beginning generally about 6 o’clock, sometimes twice on Sunday, with a sermon, Sunday school and vespers, after which, during the week, the sick have to be visited, the parish generally supervised, the schools looked after, children instructed, sermons prepared and, heaviest... Read more

Patrick Augustine Feehan (1829-1902) was the first Archbishop of Chicago. Born in Ireland, he was ordained in St. Louis in 1852. In 1865, he was named Bishop of Nashville, where he served for fifteen years before coming to Chicago. In October 1890, Chicago celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary as a Bishop. Representatives from various groups in the Archdiocese gave speeches in his honor. Mr. Lincoln Charles Valle gave the following address on behalf of the African-American Catholics in the Archdiocese. Lincoln... Read more

As the Civil War approached, 1850’s Kansas was center-stage for the brewing conflict. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions battled it out for control of the state with knives, guns, even with cannons. Located on the banks of the Missouri River, Leavenworth was a bustling city where, one historian writes, “robberies, stabbings, lynchings, hangings, tarrings and featherings were not at all uncommon.” In short, it was a pretty rough place. Not much surprised its citizens, a hardened lot. But on the morning... Read more

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER COLLEGEThe Brooklyn Eagle, September 4, 1898 The College of St. Francis Xavier, on Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets, west of Fifth avenue, Manhattan, is conducted by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus and is intended for day scholars only. The college was founded in 1847 and in 1861 was endowed by the regents of the University of the State of New York with full collegiate privileges. The college comprises three distinct departments— the graduate school, the college... Read more

By any standard, the Healys were an impressive family. Michael, the father, was an Irish immigrant who became a successful Georgia planter. His children included two nuns, a Coast Guard captain, a bishop, and two priests (one of them a university president). They seemed the quintessential Irish Catholic clan. But they harbored a secret, one that by nineteenth century white America’s standards was considered terrible. Their mother Eliza Clark had been a slave on their father’s plantation. Although Michael and... Read more

BROOKLYN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. Their History from 1828 to 1873– The Pioneer School of the City, and Who Established It—The Advent of Bishop Loughlin, and the Increase in the Numbers and the Efficiency of the Schools Since—The Colleges, Academies, Select, Parish and Night Schools of the City and Suburbs—The Number of Them and the Scholars in Each of Them, as Well as in the Aggregate—Who the Teachers Are—A Short Sketch of Each of the Orders Engaged in the Educational Work. The... Read more

HOLY NAME SCHOOL.An Entertainment Given by its Pupils Thursday Evening.The Brooklyn Eagle, June 22, 1889 In the hall of the Holy Name School, Ninth and Prospect avenues, the pupils Thursday evening received their friends. After a lengthy and classical programme all went home with the deep impression that the Holy Name Academy ranks among the first in the city. The programme consisted of a song, “Greeting,” by the young ladies of the senior class: “Military Band,” by the little boys,... Read more