Anti-Catholicism in Jacksonian Philadelphia

...lowers, those of Catholic faith were seen as lacking the individuality and free thinking required of democratic citizens. Moreover, the Catholic immigrant, whose allegiance was to a foreign ruler, was seen as disloyal to America. Anti-Catholic sentiments led to violence in the summer of 1834. Sparked by rumors that nuns

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Black Catholics in Philadelphia and The Journal

...l issues of the paper. July 9, 1892 issue Black Catholics, made up of both free and enslaved African Americans, had been a presence in Philadelphia since the establishment of the city's Catholic community. Black Catholics worshiped at the oldest Catholic churches in Philadelphia, including Old St. Joseph (1733), Old

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Pope

...to His Mother’s Apron-Strings,” October 12, 1872 Here Uncle Sam offers to free an American bishop from the pope’s plans to rule both church and state. Nast seems to suggest that the problem with Catholics is not their faith but their allegiance to a foreign power. In the background, the

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Parish and School Closing

...2, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua announced plans to examine the closing of a number of parishes in North Philadelphia and the city of Chester. Both areas saw a major decrease in parishioners, with both areas losing around 60% of registered members from 1970 to 1990. Due to this and lingering financial

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