Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

...merging of Byzantine and Romanesque styles.[3] The change in design had a number of reasons, which the architect, Charles Maginnis, stated arose out of a desire for a “distinctively American” church that would allow for a blending of the architecture in Washington D.C.[4] Another practical reason was the contemporary building

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Thomas Nast Anti-Irish Cartoons

Among the recently digitized images added to our online collection are a number of drawings by cartoonist Thomas Nast. In 1846 at the age of six, Nast immigrated with his mother to the United States and by age 15 he had begun drawing for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News.[1] He joined

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Philadelphia’s First Bishop

...reetly celebrating Mass in private homes. In 1733 he established the first parish in Philadelphia, Saint Joseph’s Church, in a secluded alley near 4th and Walnut Streets. By the eve of the American Revolution, Philadelphia was the largest city in North America. While under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of

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Parish Histories and Calendars

...h active and closed, located within the Archdiocese: Alphabetical Index to Parishes Chronology of Parish Foundations See the research guide for information on conducting parish history research. Fr. Michetti blesses those being sent off to fight during WWI, St. Donato, 1917 Sisters of Nazareth members serving St. Hedwig's Parish, Philadelphia,

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