American Catholic History
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National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche
In 1587 Spanish settlers in St. Augustine, Florida established a shrine to Our Lady of La Leche. This was the first shrine to Our Lady, the Blessed Mother Mary, established in what is now the United States. This devotion to the Blessed Mother has roots th
Kentucky Catholics and Bourbon Whiskey
The first mass movement of Catholics within the new United States from the eastern seaboard across the Appalachian Mountains happened in the 1780s and 1790s. Sixty families, led by Basil Hayden, Sr., moved together from St. Mary City, Maryland, to what wa
The Baltimore Basilica of the Assumption of Mary
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as The Baltimore Basilica, was the first cathedral built in the United States. Archbishop John Carroll conceived of the idea of building a grand cathed
Joseph Warren Revere
Joseph Warren Revere was the grandson of Paul Revere. He led a military life of adventure, discipline, and gallantry. He traveled the globe, raised the American flag over California, helped found the U.S. Naval Academy, and led soldiers as a colonel and g
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera was co-founder of the powerhouse animation studio Hanna-Barbera. He got his start drawing at his Catholic grade school, Holy Innocents, in Brooklyn, where the sisters noted his artistic talents. Eventually he made cartoons and animation his
Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget
Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget was the first bishop of Bardstown, Kentucky (when it became a diocese in 1808), and later the first bishop of Louisville. He was probably the most important bishop of the early church in America not named John Carroll. He spe
Father Henry Duranquet, SJ: Apostle to the Tombs
Father Henry Duranquet, SJ, earned the moniker Apostle of the Tombs because of his 25-plus years ministering to the convicts of New Yorks prisons, including the prison known as The Tombs. His patient Christlike work won over thousands of souls for Ch
Mother Mary Lange, OSP
Mother Mary Lange, OSP founded the Oblates of the Sisters of Providence, the first religious community for black Americans. She was born Elizabeth Clarisse Lange in the Caribbean, either on Hispaniola or Cuba, in the 1780s or 1790s. Her mother was the dau
Buffalo Bill Cody
Buffalo Bill Cody was, more or less, evangelized by the Indians who were part of his Wild West show, plus through a meeting with Pope Leo XIII in 1890. He was one of the most famous people on earth in his day. He was a legitimate Western scout, a natural
Eucharistic Congresses in the United States
Before 2024 there had been ten national eucharistic congresses and two international eucharistic congresses held in the United States. The first was in 1895. But what is a eucharistic congress? In this episode we talk about that and give some highlights f