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.

Lilies of the Field: The Back Story

The recent death of Sidney Poitier gave Tom and Noëlle Crowe an excuse to go back and look at this award-winning movie and the book it is based ... Read more

St. John Neumann

St. John Neumann was the first male American saint. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tells us how this diminutive priest took a leap of faith by coming to ... Read more

The Carmelites of Port Tobacco

The first women's religious community in the US was the Carmel of Port Tobacco, Maryland, and Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us about the Catholic ... Read more

Revisiting Frank Capra

Frank Capra is beloved for his Christmas classic "It's A Wonderful Life," and in this revisitation of the famed director, Tom and Noëlle Crowe ... Read more

Bernard Nathanson

Bernard Nathanson was one of the fathers of legalized abortion in the US and was himself responsible for thousands of deaths. But as Tom and ... Read more

Fr. Aloysius Schmitt and the Attack on Pearl Harbor

As we observe the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tom and Noëlle Crowe remind us of the story of Fr. Aloysius Schmitt, an Iowa ... Read more

The Integration of Catholic North Carolina

Bishop Vincent Waters of Raleigh, NC, committed himself against racism in his diocese in the 1950s and 60s. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell how his ... Read more

Lawrence Welk

Lawrence Welk was a North Dakota farm boy-turned-musician who built TV juggernaut that lasted for 31 years. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how ... Read more

Fr. Augustus Tolton

Fr. Augustus Tolton was the first black-identifying priest in the US, and Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us his story, from his rise from slavery to ... Read more

Fr. Francis Duffy

The most highly decorated US military chaplain is Fr. Francis Duffy, a New York priest whose statue now stands in Times Square. Tom and Noëlle ... Read more

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Mother Cabrini was a tiny, Italian powerhouse who overcame prejudice and poverty to serve Christ's Church. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell her story, ... Read more

Wizard Clip

In the late 18th century, a Catholic stranger appeared at the West Virginia home of Adam Livingston and died during his stay. Tom and Noëlle ... Read more

El Santuario de Chimayo

In New Mexico, there is a shrine that some call the Lourdes of America. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us the history of Chimayó, its miraculous ... Read more

Dom Virgil Michel, OSB

Dom Virgil Michel was a man ahead of his time in the early 20th century. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this visionary Benedictine played a ... Read more

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

St. Kateri is known as the Lily of the Mohawks and is the first Native American woman to be canonized. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us the story ... Read more

Orestes Brownson’s American Thinking

Orestes Brownson was one of the most important American intellects in the 19th century and his writings were imbued with his Catholic thinking. ... Read more

Orestes Brownson, His Biography and Conversion

Orestes Brownson was one of the most important intellectuals of the 19th century and a restless religious seeker. In this episode, Tom and ... Read more

The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches

Simple German farmers fleeing European wars in the 19th century brought their Catholic faith with them to western Ohio. Tom and Noëlle Crowe ... Read more

Vince Lombardi

Vince Lombardi once said, "The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have." Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell the story of the legendary NFL ... Read more

Betty Hutton

Betty Hutton was a Hollywood star in the 1940s, the pinup girl with big energy and a big voice, but tragedy and addiction brought her low. ... Read more