American Catholic History

Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, was arguably the greatest football coach of all time. What made him a great coach was his ability to motivate his players, and get their best out of them. His coaching philosophy came largely from his Catholic education, and sounded a lot like how Catholics talk about virtue. As a coach he never had a losing season, and took the Green Bay Packers from a decade of futility to a decade of success, including winning the first two Super Bowls. But the sudden onset of cancer took his life after just one season of success with the Washington Redskins. 

Sister Blandina Segale was a spitfire of a pint-sized Italian nun who faced down lynch mobs, tamed outlaws, outwitted juvenile troublemakers, and built or rebuilt schools, orphanages, hospitals and convents, often with her own hands and the those of anyone she could cajole or convince to help. Whew! She was originally from Italy, but after her family immigrated when she was 5, she became a Sister of Charity at 16. At 22, in 1872, she was sent to the frontier mining town of Trinidad, Colorado. She spent 20 years out west, and her impact was tremendous. But this episode is only part of her amazing story. After she was recalled to Cincinnati in 1892 she spent another nearly five decades working equally hard for women and children in that town. But that will be a story for another day. 

Charlene Richard was an ordinary girl in south central Louisiana. She was a typical cajun Catholic girl, good at sports, good at her studies, a devout Catholic, and known to get into a little trouble here and there, just like every other kid her age. But when she was twelve everything changed when she was diagnosed with leukemia, and died just 13 days later. How she suffered for others, and how she accepted her coming death, inspired by St. Therese of Lisieux, made all the difference for “the Little Cajun Saint.”

"Stagecoach" Mary Fields was a hard-drinking, gun-toting, street-brawling black woman in the Montana frontier. She also was a kind-hearted guardian to the children of the Montana frontier, including native children, and she was a dear friend to the Ursuline nuns who had set up a mission near Cascade, Montana. In spite of her hard work, dedication to those in need, and generosity, she was treated poorly by those in positions of power. She spent eight years as a mail carrier running a Star Route in Montana. She was good at it, but some were upset by how good she was at it and gave her the nickname "Stagecoach Mary" as a way to denigrate her service. After leaving the Star Route she took on other jobs to make ends meet. While some resented her abilities, most loved her and appreciated her generosity and hard work. When she died in 1814 her funeral was one of the largest that Cascade, Montana had ever seen.

Shrines dedicated in honor of St. Anne are among the oldest Catholic establishments in the U.S. St Anne de Detroit, for instance, is the second-oldest parish in the United States, while the shrine on Isle la Motte, Vermont, was part of a French fort protecting the southern approaches to Montreal. Some shrines have dramatic stories, like the National Shrine of St. Anne in Scranton, Pennsylvania which nearly collapsed due to mining activity in the hill beneath it. Most have a relic of St. Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. The Shrine of St. Anne in Fall River, Massachusetts was built to rival the great shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, but demographic changes brought that awe-inspiring structure nearly to the point of demolition. These shrines often arose where French and French Canadians settled, as the French have historically had a deep devotion to the  mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus.    Image credits: St. Anne de Detroit, creative commons license, Polonia90; St. Anne's Church and Parish Complex, Fall River, Massachusetts, creative commons license, Kenneth C. Zirkel 

The life of Father Stanley Rother unfolds as he bravely transitions from an Oklahoma farm to a dangerous mission in Guatemala. Despite early academic struggles, he dedicates himself to the Tzutujil community, mastering their language and enhancing their farming practices. His unwavering devotion puts him in peril during a brutal civil war, where he becomes a target for violence. Ultimately, his martyrdom solidifies his legacy, leading to his beatification and a shrine honoring his commitment to faith and service.

Cora Evans grew up a good Mormon, but had a crisis of faith during her wedding at the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City. She and her husband left the Mormon faith, and eventually became Catholic. This led to hardships as they were shunned for their apostasy. They had to flee Utah for California where they lived the rest of their lives. Cora's conversion came about in part because she had been having visions of the Blessed Mother since she was very young, but it wasn't until she spoke with a Catholic priest when she was 30 that she realized who this "beautiful lady" who visited her was. Her mystical experience grew in intensity, and eventually included many visits by Jesus himself, whom she alwasy called "The Master." Jesus gave her the mission of spreading devotion to the "Mystical Humanity of Christ," and he charged her to write and document her experiences. She had never written much, and wasn't highly educated, but she was obedient and she wrote about what Christ revealed to her. Her experiences came to the attention of the Church in Los Angeles, and the archbishop had Jesuits and other priests visit her to test the authenticity of her visions. Her responses and understanding convinced the experts and the archbishop that her visions were genuine, but that they were private revelations, not to be publicized at least during her lifetime. Eventually her writings filled boxes and boxes worth of manuscripts about her experiences. Some have been published, including one published under the title Refugee from Heaven. Those who carry on her work still offer conferences and retreats to help people live a life according to the Mystical Humanity of Christ.  In 2010 her cause for canonization was officially opened, giving her the title of Servant of God.

Franciscan Fr. Juan de Padilla accompanied Coronado on his 1541 mission into New Mexico to search for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. Father Padilla was looking for souls to evangelize and save. After Coronado’s search was frustrated, Fr. de Padilla remained behind to evangelize natives among the Ouichita — or Wichita — in modern day Kansas. Details aren't clear as to how or precisely where, but for his efforts he was the first to shed his blood for Christ in the New World. Three different markers in modern day Kansas mark places where his martyrdom could have happened. All three are within 100 miles of the geographic centerpoint of the contiguous 48 states. His martyrdom happened about 100 years prior to the first of the North American Martyrs in New York. 

Delve into the compelling thoughts of Orestes Brownson, a pioneering American Catholic thinker. Discover his belief that Catholics could be the best Americans, countering anti-Catholic perceptions. Unpack his complex views on slavery, advocating for moral treatment rather than immediate emancipation, and his eventual advocacy for abolition during the Civil War. Explore how he asserted that Catholic morals are crucial for societal integrity and the American political identity, all while navigating misconceptions about Catholic loyalty.

Discover the fascinating journey of Orestes Brownson, a 19th-century intellectual who navigated various Christian doctrines before converting to Catholicism at 41. Unearth the struggles he faced while searching for truth and the transformative moments that shaped his faith. Delve into Brownson's profound philosophical evolution from Transcendentalism to Catholicism and the significant contributions he made to religious thought and political discourse. His legacy continues to influence modern Catholicism and American culture.