Historic Resting Place for Famous and Faithful
...ng the War for Independence, and was the first Commander- in- Chief of the United States Navy. Bishop Egan, the first Bishop of Philadelphia, was initially interred in Old St. Mary’s. In 1869, his remains were removed to the vault beneath the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. During
Archbishop Ryan
...focused on serving minorities in the community by serving on the Board of Indian Commissioners (appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt) and opening the first African-American parish, St. Peter’s Claver.[12] His work with the underserved could be seen most clearly in his connections with Saint Katharine Drexel. After the death of
Higher, Faster, Stronger: The Olympics
...d be no surprise that several Olympians from the area have represented the United States in Rowing. The first, and probably the most famous, is John B. Kelly. Born of Irish immigrants, he grew up in Saint Bridget’s parish and worked as a bricklayer. After joining Vesper Rowing Club, he
Anti-Catholicism in Jacksonian Philadelphia
...ics posed a genuine threat. Conspiracy theories of a papal takeover of the United States abounded. A large dimension of the Protestant revival that began in the late 1820s included militant attacks against the Catholic Church which claimed that the Catholic religion was threatening to America’s Protestant culture. Nativists and