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.

Fr. Francis Sampson, Paratrooper Padre

Fr. Francis Sampson was chaplain with the 101st Airborne who jumped over France on D-Day, 1944. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us of the selfless ... Read more

Andre Cailloux

Capt. Andre Cailloux was a black free man and a hero of the Civil War. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this Catholic family man joined the ... Read more

Maria von Trapp

Maria von Trapp's life inspired the film The Sound of Music, but as Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us, her life was so much more exciting and ... Read more

Immaculate Conception, Patroness of the USA

In 1846, the bishops of the USA named the Blessed Mother under her title of Immaculate Conception as Patroness of the USA. Tom and Noëlle Crowe ... Read more

Sr. Ignatia and Alcoholics Anonymous

AA has been a blessing in the lives in many thousands and Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how Sr. Ignatia Gavin was at the root of its founding ... Read more

Patricia Neal

Patricia Neal was a Hollywood star who nevertheless encountered trouble and tragedy in her life through infidelity, abortion, and illness. But ... Read more

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and lived a life reflective of that status, including some moral failings. But Tom and ... Read more

America’s First Mass, Florida, 1513

The first Mass celebrated in America may have been celebrated in Eastertide in Florida in 1513. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell the story of Ponce de ... Read more

Roger Maris

While the current Major League record holder for most home runs in a season has an asterisk in the book, Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us that ... Read more

Jean Louis Cheverus

Jean Cheverus was the first bishop of Boston and as Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us he was beloved throughout his diocese, by both Catholics and ... Read more

Daniel Barber

Daniel Barber was a man of integrity who followed where the truth led him. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how Barber, an early 19th-century ... Read more

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac is known as one of the founder of the Beat Generation and is infamous for his debauched lifestyle, but as Tom and Noëlle Crowe ... Read more

John Boyle O’Reilly

John Boyle O'Reilly was a soldier, a convict, a poet, and a journalist who left a lasting impact in the United States. Tom and Noëlle Crowe ... Read more

The Ark and The Dove

When Catholics arrived in Maryland in 1634, they arrived on two ship, The Ark and The Dove. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us the story of how the ... Read more

John von Neumann

John von Neumann was one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century, and as Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us, at the end of his life that ... Read more

The Josephites

The Josephites began as a missionary order to serve black Catholics in postbellum America. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us about the roots of the ... Read more

The Pope’s Stone

The construction of the Washington Monument in the 19th century was hampered by many delays and problems. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us that one ... Read more

Claude McKay

Claude McKay was a Jamaica-born African-American poet who spent much of his life fighting against racism and in the creativity of the Harlem ... Read more

Ven. Frederic Baraga

Bishop Frederic Baraga was once known as the Snowshoe Priest for his drive to travel in any season throughout Michigan to serve his flock. Tom ... Read more

Mother Teresa in America

Mother Teresa was one of just a few people to be made an honorary US citizen, and Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this modern saint gave her ... Read more