American Catholic History

John von Neumann: Game Theory, Atomic Bomb, MAD, and Catholic Convert

John von Neumann invented Game Theory, redefined ordinal numbers, contributed mightily to quantum mechanics, and developed the architecture which enables modern computing. He also designed the trigger mechanism which detonated the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and he was key in developing "Mutually Assured Destruction" as a means of balancing the world order as the nuclear age dawned. He possessed an intellect rivaled by only a handful of other persons, and he was, without doubt, one of the most important individuals of 20th century. He also was agnostic for the majority of his life, though he was baptized Catholic at 30 years old in order to marry his Catholic fiancee. But when suddenly facing his own death at just 53 years old, he had to face the questions of the afterlife and the existence of God. Ever the gamer, Pascal's Wager gave him the argument that convinced him to return to the Catholicism of his first wife, and then significant conversations with a learned Benedictine priest helped him to understand the faith and desire the sacraments. He died with the Last Rites in January 1957.

The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches

The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches is a region in west-central Ohio. German Catholics fled the wars and upheaval of their homeland in the early- and mid-19th century, and many settled in the United States. A number of these groups settled in a region of western Ohio, and in the 1840s Archbishop Purcell invited the Fathers of the Most Precious Blood to come and minister to these German-speaking Catholics. Father Francis de Sales Brunner led 14 confreres over, and over the ensuing decades the Precious Blood Fathers built more than 60 churches, schools, a seminary, convents, and rectories in a relatively small area. Over the years the construction became more elaborate until many of these churches had tall, slender steeples tipped with crosses. And since they were built so near to each other across a very flat landscape, the area became known as "The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches." Nowadays road signs mark out a scenic byway that would take the pilgrim on a journey through the region, seeing 50 of the churches and other structures. The most prominent of them, the former convent of Mariastein, is now the home of the second-largest collection of relics outside the Vatican. 

The Pope's Stone in the Washington Monument

In 1854 a slab of marble donated by Pope Pius IX arrived in Washington, D.C. He had it engraved “A Roma Americae,” or “From Rome to America,” as a sign of goodwill. He had sent it over to be included in the Washington Monument, which was then under construction. Many foreign governments had sent similar contributions to honor America’s first president. The Know Nothings, however, had no intention of allowing a gift from the Pope to be included in the Washington Monument. They were certain the stone was a sign of darker intentions by the Pope. So on March 9, 1854, under cover of darkness, a group of these anti-Catholics broke into the yard, stole the stone, and after damaging it with hammers they dropped it in the Potomac River. No one was ever credibly accused of the crime, despite reward offers and a public outcry. Many years later, however, after a tip, the stone was discovered… only to disappear again. But today, there is a stone from the Pope in the Washington Monument, this one was provided by Pope John Paul II in 1982.

Ven. Frederic Baraga, the Snowshoe Priest

Frederic Baraga was the first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette, in Michigan’s upper peninsula. He had come to northern Michigan as a missionary in 1831, after immigrating from the Austrian Empire — an area of it that is in modern day Slovenia. Baraga proved a tireless missionary, traveling hundreds of miles by foot, including in snowshoes during the long, harsh winters, as well as by boat. He converted thousands of Chippewa and Ottawa and other natives, and he ministered to the settlers, including those who came north for the copper boom. He faced resistance from Protestant missionaries, French fur traders, and the U.S. federal government, all of whom had their own agendas for the natives. Devotion to him began shortly after his death in 1868. He was declared Venerable in 2012.

Dom Virgil Michel, OSB: Liturgy and Social Justice

Dom Virgil Michel, OSB was a visionary leader who recognized some problems affecting the Church of his day and believed that the way to fix those problems was through the liturgy. He recognized that by improving knowledge of and participation in the liturgy, and making the liturgy central to both catechesis and social justice, more people would come to know Christ more deeply, and would thereby be motivated to do great good. He spearheaded the liturgical movement, wrote texts to reform catechetics and religious education, and was active in the emerging social justice movement. He firmly believed “lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi,” which means “how you pray is how you believe is how you live.” Through founding the journal Orate Fratres and the Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minnesota he had a profound influence on many who came later, but he died unfortunately young in 1938.

Mary Virginia Merrick and the Christ Child Society

Mary Virginia Merrick was a child of wealth, and of deep prayer and a special love for Christ. From an early age she understood that the way to do things was to do every thing — every small thing — with great love. Eventually one is doing great things, even if unintentionally. The day she received her First Holy Communion whe vowed to become a religious sister and to help Christ by helping the poor. But an accident when she was 14 left her paralyzed from the neck down. She didn't let her painful and debilitating ailment stop her. From her bed and lounging wheelchair she organized others to help the poor. Eventually she and her helpers founded the Christ Child Society to help expectant mothers, orphans, and those whose parents could not afford to give them a good Christmas. The Society grew to a regional, then a national, and eventually an international organization under her leadership. She led the Society until she was 82 years old, while also authoring several books for children and publishing a regular column for children. The Christ Child Society still helps many thousands of families every year.

Frank Capra

Frank Capra has a strong case for being the GOAT among directors, and it’s not just because of his name. He won three Oscars for best director out of seven nominations, while making films that were deeply Catholic in their message. His film making message was clear: good wins out, no matter what the cruel, cynical world might prefer. His incredible success petered out in the 1950s, when critics and audiences turned away from "capra-corn," but his masterpiece, the 1946 classic "It's A Wonderfu Life," has enjoyed a renaissance since the 1970s, becoming a Christmas classic.

The Immaculate Conception: Patroness of the United States of America

In 1846, eight years before the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was solemnly defined by Pope Pius IX, the bishops of the United States declared Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception to be the Patroness of the United States of America. Since the earliest days of the Church, Catholics have believed that Mary was preserved by God from Original Sin from the moment of her conception. This devotion has an early history in the Americas as well — when Christopher Columbus came over, his flagship was named in honor of the Immaculate Conception - Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción. By the middle of the 19th century, the Church was really emerging as a major force in the life of America, and her bishops were gaining greater notice and respect around the world. Two prominent American prelates, Archbishop Francis Kenrick of Baltimore and Bishop John Hughes of New York, both had great devotions to Our Lady. Though they were diametrically opposed in temperament and episcopal style, both pushed for the American bishops to name the Immaculate Conception the Patroness of the United States at the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore in 1846. They were successful. Then both were present in Rome eight years later when Pope Pius IX declared the dogma. In fact, the American decision to name the Immaculate Conception as Patroness is believed to have been a factor in Pius IX's decision to declare the dogma. Further, Archbishop Kenrick, who was an internationally respected theologian at the time, aided Pius IX in formulating the rationale and the declaration. Since that time, many U.S. cathedrals and parish churches, plus the massive shrine in Washington, DC, have been dedicated in honor of the Immaculate Conception. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us!

Maria von Trapp and the Trapp Family Singers

Maria von Trapp wrote the family autobiography that became the <i>The Sound of Music</i> on Broadway in 1959 and in Hollywood in 1965. She was the stepmother to Captian Georg von Trapp's seven original children, while she and the Captain also had three of their own. But before she was ready to be a wife and a mother, she had to overcome a difficult childhood. Born in 1905, she was an orphan by nine years old. She was raised by an abusive relative who instilled his atheism and antipathy toward Catholicism in her. After accidentally going to Mass — she thought it was just a Bach concert — she was drawn to Catholicism. She graduated from teacher college and entered the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, one of the most rigorous in Austria. After two years she was assigned to be a tutor to the third child of the widowed Captain von Trapp, and the rest is history. The couple and their family did face persecution from the Nazis, they did flee Austria for the United States, and they did win the Salzburg Music Festival, but that's about where the similarities with the movie end. They settled in Stowe, Vermont, continued touring, and opened a lodge to visitors. Today, the Trapp Family Lodge remains in operation, welcoming visitors for European-style amenities and four-season relaxation and activity.

Squanto, and the Catholic Founders of Thanksgiving

In 1621, the Calvinist Puritan Pilgrims shared a harvest meal with the largely pagan Native Americans whom they befriended on the coast of New England. This first Thanksgiving meal was only possible because of the actions of Franciscan friars in Spain, and the Patuxet brave Squanto whom they had saved from slavery, educated in the Catholic faith, baptized, and set on his way to return to the New World. Squanto returned to his native village only to find his entire tribe wiped out by an epidemic. The very next year, the Pilgrims landed nearby, found the empty village, and selected that site to establish the Plymouth Colony. Squanto, at the prompting of another native who had some mastery of English, named Samoset, made contact with the Pilgrims. Squanto's knowledge of English and of European ways made him indispensable to the Pilgrims that first year. The Pilgrims had lost nearly half their numbers due to illness when they were forced to remain on the Mayflower for the entire winter of 1620-21. When they came ashore they faced stiff odds, especially since the seeds they brought with them from northern Europe didn't grow well in the soil and climate of New England. Also, not all Native tribes were eager to welcome these settlers. Without Squanto's intervention in negotiating peace, plus some lessons in local farming and how to tread eels, the Pilgrims may not have survived that first year. And Squanto would not have been in a position to help in this way without the intervention of the anti-slavery Catholic Franciscans of Spain.