Catholic History Trek

The lesser-known Martyrs of La Florida were the first Catholic martyrs of the area that would later become the United States - predating Isaac Jogues and the more famous North American Martyrs by a century. This episode treks thru the lives and martyrdoms of some of these men who gave their lives evangelizing the natives of the La Florida region. ("Martyrs" series no. 6, Martyrs of La Florida)

Kevin fills a gap in the CHT repertoire by taking a stroll through the history of Catholic literature.

In this episode Catholic History Trek explores the scant history of the Come Holy Spirit prayer. (“Catholic Prayers” series, no. 16, Come Holy Spirit)

Philip Latrini loved a good duel. Perhaps too much. But a drastic event changed the course of his life, leading Philip to become St. Bernard of Corleone.

In this episode Scott indulges into the Catholic Church's history with the doctrine of indulgences.

Were dragons mythological? Symbolic? Real? Dinosaurs? In this episode Catholic History Trek looks back at the various accounts where saints encountered dragons.

While rare, Catholic masses are occasionally celebrated outside of a church, chapel, or shrine. Sometimes, these non-standard mass locations result in some unusual settings – even baseball stadiums.  In this episode Scott looks at the history of masses celebrated by the pope at a major league baseball stadium.

As an 18-year old Patrick Peyton was a school dropout working on the family farm in Ireland.   Two decades later Fr. Patrick Peyton was creating Family Theater Productions – a media venture drawing the top names in Hollywood to donate their time to join his mission of promoting family prayer. The history of the "Rosary Priest" and Family Theater Productions on this episode of Catholic Hi...

Lady Godiva has inspired statues, paintings, songs, poems, and even product names. But was she real, and was her famous ride real? And why mention her on a Catholic history podcast? Find out on this episode of Catholic History Trek.

In this episode, Kevin and Scott bring their long 5 year runof regularly scheduled episodes to a close. In this last episode featuring both Kevin and Scott together, they speculate on the history of the Church. Will there be more Catholics or less? What kinds of threats will the Church face? And who will be pope in the year 2100? They discuss these, and other questions, in this episode. As a note,...

The first Catholic Bible translated from the Latin Vulgate into English was the one known today as the Douay Rheims Bible. This episode covers a brief history of the Bible, English translations, and the Douay.

Kevin wraps up his series on the states with the history of St. Joseph Church on Madeline Island in Lake Superior. He also makes a special announcement regarding the future of Catholic History Trek. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 50, Wisconsin)

Fatima. Lourdes. Guadalupe. Many people know the famous Marian apparitions, but few know much about the first Marian apparition. In this episode Scott treks back to the first approved apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to have taken place after the Assumption – Our Lady of Puy.

Benedictine monks figure prominently in the history of St. Benedict's Church in Nebraska City—among them the "Crotchety Apostle of Southeast Nebraska." ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 49, Nebraska)

Stille Nacht (Silent Night) was composed over two centuries ago as a collaboration between a priest and a school teacher. The history of this popular Christmas song on this episode of Catholic History Trek.

A country landscape near Konawa is the site of the former Sacred Heart Mission, where monks, nuns, and Indians built the Church in Oklahoma. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 48, Oklahoma)

In this episode Scott covers the history of the popular Advent hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, which originates with the O antiphons. Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel. Nascetur pro te, Israel!

The story of Catholicism in the Cowboy State revolves around St. Mary's Cathedral in Cheyenne. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 47, Wyoming)

St Peter was the first pope, but who was the second pope? In this episode Scott treks back to the 2nd pope - the first successor of St Peter.

The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Vincennes, Indiana, was the state's first Catholic church and first cathedral. During the American Revolution, it was also the home of the "Patriot Priest," Fr. Pierre Gibault. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 46, Indiana)

What is a Catholic to do when one penitential season of Lent just doesn’t provide enough fasting? They add a second one! For many centuries, Advent (previously called St Martin’s Lent) was a penitential season observed similarly to Lent, marking a preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@Cat...

Nashville is the capital of country music, the capital of the Volunteer State, and the capital of Tennessee Catholicism. Its St. Mary's Church joins St. Michael's in Cedarville as the birthplaces of Catholicism Tennessee. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 45, Tennessee)

Often forgotten in the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials, is the martyrdom of Ann Glover, killed as a “witch” because shewas an Irish Catholic in a Puritan colony. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!

Maryland Jesuits founded Delaware's first parish: St. Mary of the Assumption, known in its early days as the "Coffee Run Church." ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 44, Delaware)

The pioneering bishops of the Pacific Northwest, Francois Blanchet and Modeste Demers, figure in the story of the beginning of the Church in the state of Washington at St. Francis Xavier Mission on the Cowlitz River. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 43, Washington)