Category Archives: American Catholic History

Tom and Noelle Crowe finds the hidden gems and compelling stories of Catholic Americans who have contributed to their nation by virtue of their faith over the past three centuries.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Charles Carroll was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us he was also the most ... Read more

Fr. Juan de Padilla, Proto-Martyr of the USA

Fr. Juan Padilla was a Franciscan missionary who traveled in what became the USA as part of Coronado's search for the 7 Cities of Gold. Tom and ... Read more

Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy

The first bishop of the American territory of New Mexico, Jean-Baptiste Lamy was the subject of the historical novel "Death Comes for the ... Read more

Sr. Miriam Michael Stimson

All modern DNA science owes a debt to this formidable Dominican nun. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell the story of Sr. Miriam, who blazed a trail for ... Read more

Noël Dube, Hero of D-Day

In a special 100th episode, Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell the story of Noëlle's grandfather, Noël Dube, a man of deep faith whose bravery and ... Read more

Fr. Emil Kapaun

Fr. Emil Kapaun may one day become the first Catholic saint who is also a Medal of Honor recipient. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us about the ... Read more

Father Stephen Badin

Fr. Stephen Badin was the first Catholic priest ordained in the United States, a title he took great pride in. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us ... Read more

Catholics at Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg is often considered a turning point of the Civil War. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how Catholics played key roles in ... Read more

St. Damien of Molokai

Fr. Damien de Veuster came to the Hawaiian Islands in 1864 as a missionary and soon volunteered to minister to the leper colony on Molokai. Tom ... Read more

The Apparition of Our Lady of Good Help

In 1859, a young Belgian immigrant had an encounter in a Wisconsin forest with a woman surrounded by light. Tom and Noëlle Crowe relate how ... Read more

St. Rose Priory and the Coming of the Dominicans

St. Rose Priory in Kentucky is the original home of the Dominican order in the United States. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how American-born ... Read more

Fred Allen

Fred Allen was a hugely influential and beloved comic actor in the golden age of radio whose characters, tropes, and sketches have been ... Read more

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Margaret Brown did so much in her life--helping the poor, building churches, establishing a juvenile justice system, women's suffrage, even ... Read more

Fr. Pierre-Jean de Smet, SJ

The Jesuit missionary Fr. de Smet met, befriended, and evangelized nearly every native tribe west of the Mississippi in the mid-19th century ... Read more

Blessed Michael McGivney and the Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus are the largest Catholic fraternal and charitable organization in the world, and as Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us, we ... Read more

Mother Mary Magdalene Bentivoglio

Mother Mary Bentivoglio's story is yet another of overcoming obstacles and persevering in faith. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this Poor ... Read more

The History of St. Patrick’s Day

As great as St. Patrick is and important to Ireland, as Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us, the celebration of St. Patrick's Day didn't become the ... Read more

Father Ferdinand Farmer

When Jesuit Father Ferdinand Farmer came to the US colonies before the Revolution, they were bitterly divided by religious intolerance. Tom and ... Read more

Bishop Simon Bruté

The French-born Bishop Simon Bruté, first bishop of Vincennes, Indiana, was a famed intellectual and missionary. He was even associated with ... Read more

George Washington, Catholic?

Ever since he died, there has been speculation that George Washington converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. Tom and Noëlle Crowe look at ... Read more