Building of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a diocese must be in want of a cathedral. When the Diocese of Philadelphia was established in 1808, Bishop Michael Egan made Old St. Mary’s the first Cathedral of the diocese.[1] In 1837, Bishop Francis Kenrick tried to moved his seat to St.
Centennial Exposition
The International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine was held from May to November 1876 in Fairmount Park to mark the 100th anniversary of the United States. Called the Centennial Exposition for short, it was a world’s fair featuring displays from around the country and
Irish Catholics and Secret Societies
The Catholic Church has a long history of opposing secret societies, partly because of the oaths of loyalty involved in such groups. Nevertheless, during the 1800s there were two major organizations that attracted numbers of Irish Catholics: the Fenian Brotherhood and the Molly Maguires. The Fenian Brotherhood was founded in
Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute
The oldest Catholic lay educational society in America was founded on December 22, 1850 by Father Edward Sourin (later a member of the Society of Jesus).[1] Named, Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute, it was organized as a fraternal setting in which young Catholic men could “cultivate and improve the minds… and