Catholic History Trek

In this episode Scott uncovers the history of the true cross upon which Jesus was crucified. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!

Distinctive white pinnacles top the Basilica of St. Mary in Natchez, built by Bishop John Chanches in the 1840s. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 42, Mississippi)

The terrifying words were recorded in an 1876 book by Monsignor Louis Gaston de Segur, recounting a ghastly apparition witnessed by his grandfather. But the holy de Segur wrote prolifically, and about much more than the reality of hell. In this episode Scott treks thru the life of Louis Gaston de Segur. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHi...

Ecumenism seeks to separate humanity, divided by religion to find common ground. Seems like a good ideal, but some Catholics (including many popes) were strongly opposed to it. In this episode, Scott treks thru the Catholic tradition of ecumenism? To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!

This historic Jamestown isn't in Virginia; it's in North Dakota—and it's home to the first Catholic parish and the first Catholic cathedral in the state. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 41, North Dakota)

In this episode Scott treks thru the history of how an order of Franciscans sisters, and an F5 tornado, helped bring about the world famous Mayo Clinic. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!

Constantine and Helen. Basil and Gregory. Milan and Constantinople. Jerome and Augustine. Monumental people, places, and events came together in the fourth century to form the great Christian faith and civilization that have shaped our world. Scott and Kevin provide a brief tour of this epic period.

Baltimore has always held a place of prominence inthe history of American Catholicism, as the nation's first diocese and first archdiocese. In this episode Scott treks back to Baltimore's provincial and plenary councils, to see the issues which weighed on the mind of the Catholic Church in the 19th century. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesin...

When John Brown raided the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, the pastor of St. Peter's Catholic Church was caught up in the fray. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 40, West Virginia)

The 10th and 11th centuries saw a sting of many short papacies, as secular rulers added and removed pontiffs to impose their will on the papacy. Among these popes were some of the most wretched men to sit in the chair of St Peter, which earned the era the title the Saeculum Obscurum , or "dark age" of the papacy.

Marking 250 years since the establishment of the US Army Chaplain Corps, Scott and Kevin sketch the history of Catholic chaplains. They focus on remarkable twentieth-century American priests, including Aloysius Schmitt, Emil Kapaun, and Vincent Capodanno. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!

St Peter of Verona holds the title as the quickest saint to be canonized after his death - only 337 days. What made this Dominican, inquisitor, and son of heretics, a candidate for such a quick canonization? Find out, as Scott covers the life & death of St Peter of Verona (a.k.a. St Peter Martyr).

Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Jesuits, and diocesan priests collaborated to take the faith "way up north," beginning with St. Rose of Lima Church in Wrangell. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 39, Alaska)

From the late 17th century thru the mid 18th century, heavily romanticized, but failed, Jacobite rebellions attempted to return the last Catholic kings of England to the throne. In this episode, Scott treks thru the history of the Bonnie Prince Charles and the Jacobite attempt to restore the throne to the House of Stuart. Unfortunately there was a 30 second gap of no audio in the original episode....

Besides being a great saint, Augustine was a great preacher, writer, and thinker, whose influence on the Church has been incalculable. Kevin and Scott cover all things Augustinian in this wide-ranging episode, which takes them from the fourth-century Roman Empire to the twenty-first century papacy.

And on the 7th day, God rested. Based on this sabbath rest, in both Jewish and Catholic history, the Jubilee Year has been a year of remission. But why does Old testament math have 7 x 7 + 1 = Jubilee, while Catholic math has placed the Jubilee at 25, 33, 40, and 50 year intervals? And when was the first Catholic Jubilee? Scott answers these questions (and a little about baseball bats) in this epi...

A few years before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, San Miguel Chapel was built in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Its adobe walls have withstood centuries of war and wear. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 38, New Mexico)

For the past 800 years, various men and women (mostly women) have mystically bore the wounds of Christ on their bodies. In this episode Scott treks thru the history of the phenomenon known as the stigmata. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!

History’s best pope? Worst pope? How will historians look back on the Church today? Scott and Kevin mark this milestone in CHT’s history by venturing into reflection, opinion, and speculation, lobbing questions at each other and reacting to the sometimes predictable, sometimes surprising answers.  

In the world of 1980's cartoons, G.I. Joe was a "real American hero". But in the world of Catholicism, a little-known Catholic tradition could make one a hero for the poor souls in Purgatory. In this episode Scott treks thru the historic practice of making the Heroic Act of Charity in Favor of the Souls in Purgatory.

A family of converts played a big role in the early years of New Hampshire's first Catholic church, St. Mary's in Claremont. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 37, New Hampshire)

In this episode Scott treks back to the early origin of Catholic apologetics.

¡Viva Cristo Rey! With a special focus on Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quas Primas , Scott and Kevin unpack some of the theology and history behind one of the Church's major feasts, Christ the King.

This episode is sort of a continuation of Episode 7, the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches. It highlights the same geographical area and the same time frame, but with a new cast of characters. This episode treks thru Cincinnati race riots, a bad seminary, and Bishop Joseph Dwenger’s lasting contribution to Catholic education.

Catholics from Maryland migrated to Georgia in the 1790s, creating the settlement of Locust Grove and the state's first parish, Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 36, Georgia) Contribute to Catholic History Trek at Paypal (Kevin Schmiesing at Catholic History Trek) The Purification Heritage Center