American Catholic History

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 cathedral in Baltimore in 1792, but his plans didn’t come to fruition until the early 1800s. And in spite of being a poor diocese, Carroll believed this cathedral was important to build because of “Amplitude.” To make sure it was a building that would be respected by all, Carroll secured the services of the most respected and important architect of the time, Henry Latrobe. Latrobe is considered the father of American architecture. At the time he worked on this new cathedral his other major project was the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Listen to learn more about this important house of worship.

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 general during the American Civil War. During that war, in 1862, while convalescing in Washington, DC, he made a stunning decision to become Catholic. He was baptized in the Cathedral of the Assumption in Baltimore — the Baltimore Basilica — and was a devout Catholic the rest of his days. After his military career ended he lived most of his days at his home in New Jersey. He traveled more, and painted a painting for his parish. Joseph Warren Revere died in 1880 due to injuries and illness suffered during the Civil War.

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 career, landing at Metro Goldwyn Mayer. At MGM he teamed up with William Hanna on the Tom and Jerry series, which was an overnight sensation. Tom and Jerry won a record seven Oscars from a record 14 nominations. When MGM shut down its animation studio, the two partnered to found Hanna-Barbera studios. Through Hanna-Barbera they created some of the most important cartoons of the 20th century, including Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Johnny Quest, The Jetsons, Snagglepuss, Superfriends, The Smurfs, Scooby Do, and many others. Through their groundbreaking work they won many Emmy Awards. But Joseph Barbera considered a series of cartoons on stories from the Bible to be his most important achievement. The series, “The Greatest Adventure,” was released straight to home video from 1985 through 1992. Barbera remained active in Hanna-Barbera until shortly before his death in 2006.

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 spent the majority of his four decades as bishop traveling by horseback and on foot through his vast diocese. He was an incredibly holy and wise man. When he tried to retire due to illness and the overall breakdown of his body, his flock made such an uproar that his successor was forced to resign and he resumed the see. His counsel was sought on all Church matters in America, and even in Rome when matters touching on America arose. 

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 York’s prisons, including the prison known as “The Tombs.” His patient Christlike work won over thousands of souls for Christ, including notorious murderers like Albert Hicks, whose hanging in 1860 was a major public event. Father Duranquet also won over the guards, doctors, and leadership of the prison system, many of whom were anti-Catholic Know Nothings. Father Duranquet spent his last few years as a spiritual guide to the Jesuits first at Worcester, Massachusetts, then at Woodstock, Maryland, where he died in 1891 at 82 years old.

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 daughter of a wealthy planter and her father was a slave. She received an excellent education in Cuba. Eventually she immigrated to the United States, settling in Baltimore. She inherited a large sum of money and was able to support herself. But she also had a desire to teach. Maryland was a slave state, but Baltimore at the time had more free black persons than enslaved. Many of them were from the Caribbean like she was, and most were poorly educated. There were no public schools that admitted blacks, and not enough private schools to serve the need. Elizabeth and a friend opened a school for black girls in Elizabeth’s home, funded entirely by her inheritance. After about ten years the money was running out. Fortunately, Father James Joubert, a Sulpician who had been helping to catechize black youth, stepped in. With the support of Baltimore’s archbishop, James Whitfield, Father Joubert aided Elizabeth Lange and her friends to keep their school going, and he helped them fulfill another dream: to found a religious community for black women. In 1829 the Oblate Sisters of Providence was established with Elizabeth Lange taking the name Mary and being named the first superior. For the next 50 years, Mother Lange labored to do whatever needed to be done to support the school, to educate children, and to help the community in whatever way was needed.

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 showman, and a man of principle and action. He and his wife, Louisa, had four children. Two died in childhood. One of his sisters, Julia, was a strong Christian — though not Catholic — and she encouraged him to become Christian for many years. But he resisted until the day before he died. Through the intervention of friends, who were Catholic, he was baptized by a Catholic priest in Denver the day before he died in 1917.

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 from many of the eucharistic congresses of the past.

Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol was one of the most significant artists of the 20th century. He was born and raised in a devout Byzantine Catholic family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but most of his life was far from a model of Catholic sanctity. He became a leader and innovator of pop art, and drew his subject matter from the celebrity idols and crass commercialism of his day. He was a fixture of the high end social scene of 60s and 70s New York, and his style influenced countless other artists. But very few knew how important Catholicism really remained in his life. He went to Church regularly, prayed often, and paid for a nephew to go to seminary. After his death at 58 in 1987, he received a Catholic funeral and was buried near his parents. His estate carries on and preserves his work in the Andy Warhol Foundation and Museum, based in Pittsburgh.

Fr. Joseph T. O’Callahan, Savior of the USS Franklin

Father Joseph T. O’Callahan, SJ, was head of the mathematics department at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, and a professor of mathematics, physics, and philosophy. But when war broke out in 1939, he signed up to be a Navy Chaplain — the first Jesuit to do so. In March of 1945 he was assigned to the USS Franklin, which steamed out of Pearl Harbor on March 3. Just 16 days later, while preparing to launch bombing runs on the Japanese mainland, the Franklin was struck by two armor-piercing bombs. The bombs penetrated to the hangar bay. The chain reactions of explosions and fires which ensued killed hundreds almost immediately, and hundreds more over the next eleven hours. But Father O’Callahan kept his wits about him, and organized the men into firefighting squads. He personally led some men into gun turrets and ammunition magazines to remove hot rounds and toss them overboard, and to hose down some with fire hoses to keep them cool. If any of these had exploded the ship would have been torn to bits, and all the men would have died. Thanks to his actions — and those of a few others — the Franklin was saved, and made it back to Brooklyn, New York for major repairs. Father O’Callahan initially refused the Navy Cross approved for him, but eventually President Truman convinced him to accept the Congressional Medal of Honor — the award his actions truly merited. Father O’Callahan eventually went back to teaching at Holy Cross. He died in 1964.