American Catholic History

Dom Virgil Michel, OSB was a visionary leader who recognized some problems affecting the Church of his day and believed that the way to fix those problems was through the liturgy. He recognized that by improving knowledge of and participation in the liturgy, and making the liturgy central to both catechesis and social justice, more people would come to know Christ more deeply, and would thereby be motivated to do great good. He spearheaded the liturgical movement, wrote texts to reform catechetics and religious education, and was active in the emerging social justice movement. He firmly believed “lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi,” which means “how you pray is how you believe is how you live.” Through founding the journal Orate Fratres and the Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minnesota he had a profound influence on many who came later, but he died unfortunately young in 1938.

Mary Virginia Merrick was a child of wealth, and of deep prayer and a special love for Christ. From an early age she understood that the way to do things was to do every thing — every small thing — with great love. Eventually one is doing great things, even if unintentionally. The day she received her First Holy Communion whe vowed to become a religious sister and to help Christ by helping the poor. But an accident when she was 14 left her paralyzed from the neck down. She didn't let her painful and debilitating ailment stop her. From her bed and lounging wheelchair she organized others to help the poor. Eventually she and her helpers founded the Christ Child Society to help expectant mothers, orphans, and those whose parents could not afford to give them a good Christmas. The Society grew to a regional, then a national, and eventually an international organization under her leadership. She led the Society until she was 82 years old, while also authoring several books for children and publishing a regular column for children. The Christ Child Society still helps many thousands of families every year.

Frank Capra has a strong case for being the GOAT among directors, and it’s not just because of his name. He won three Oscars for best director out of seven nominations, while making films that were deeply Catholic in their message. His film making message was clear: good wins out, no matter what the cruel, cynical world might prefer. His incredible success petered out in the 1950s, when critics and audiences turned away from "capra-corn," but his masterpiece, the 1946 classic "It's A Wonderfu Life," has enjoyed a renaissance since the 1970s, becoming a Christmas classic.

In 1846, eight years before the dogma of the Immaculate Conception was solemnly defined by Pope Pius IX, the bishops of the United States declared Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception to be the Patroness of the United States of America. Since the earliest days of the Church, Catholics have believed that Mary was preserved by God from Original Sin from the moment of her conception. This devotion has an early history in the Americas as well — when Christopher Columbus came over, his flagship was named in honor of the Immaculate Conception - Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción. By the middle of the 19th century, the Church was really emerging as a major force in the life of America, and her bishops were gaining greater notice and respect around the world. Two prominent American prelates, Archbishop Francis Kenrick of Baltimore and Bishop John Hughes of New York, both had great devotions to Our Lady. Though they were diametrically opposed in temperament and episcopal style, both pushed for the American bishops to name the Immaculate Conception the Patroness of the United States at the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore in 1846. They were successful. Then both were present in Rome eight years later when Pope Pius IX declared the dogma. In fact, the American decision to name the Immaculate Conception as Patroness is believed to have been a factor in Pius IX's decision to declare the dogma. Further, Archbishop Kenrick, who was an internationally respected theologian at the time, aided Pius IX in formulating the rationale and the declaration. Since that time, many U.S. cathedrals and parish churches, plus the massive shrine in Washington, DC, have been dedicated in honor of the Immaculate Conception. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us!