The earliest Catholic settlement in what is now the state of Arkansas was Arkansas Post, established in 1686 by Henri de Tonti, a lieutenant of the great French explorer Robert Sieur de la Salle. Never a bustling settlement, the Catholics who lived there struggled to maintain their faith, while mission priests came and went. But they built a church. Originally built on a barge in the Arkansas River in 1782, it was moved to land in 1832, when the first resident pastor came to minister to this...

Maronite Catholics maintain one of the most ancient traditions within the Catholic Church. They are originally from the southern edge of Asia Minor, and lived in relative peace for many centuries in the mountains of Lebanon. But civil wars forced many to flee. During this time of upheaval, the devotion to Our Lady of Lebanon resulted in a massive and important shrine being built in Harissa, Lebanon, just northeast of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Maronites first came to America beginning in...

Catholics have had a tremendous impact on American food from the beginning. The Franciscan friars in the California missions brought wine making. Those same friars also invented a delicious cheese that we now know as Monterey Jack. In Louisiana the French, African, and Acadian peoples who settled the land developed cajun and creole food. In Cincinnati, Ohio a Catholic businessman convinced Ray Kroc to make the Filet-o-Fish a staple of the McDonald’s menu. In West Virginia the pepperoni roll...

In 1620, the year the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a Spanish nun began to appear to the Jumano people of west central Texas. The Spanish nun, Sister Maria de Jesus de Agreda, was a mystic who never left her monastery in Spain, but through the spiritual gift of bi-location visited the Jumano people more than 500 times between 1620 and 1631. After she’d evangelized the Jumano for eleven years she sent them to the Franciscan missionaries who had come to New Mexico. When the Franciscans came...

Margaret Haughery came to America as a child in 1818 and promptly lost her entire family to disease and desertion. She married and had a child, but before her 24th birthday she lost her husband and daughter to disease. Through the help of her parish priest she turned this tragedy and pain into energy to work hard and help others. For the next 40-plus years she became one of the most prominent philanthropists in New Orleans, turning a dairy business, and then a bread empire, into orphanages,...

StarQuest CEO Dom Bettinelli has a special message for listeners as we approach the Christmas season. We need to hear from you this Advent and Christmas at sqpn.com/give

Noelle and Tom Crowe give an update about what's going on, the upcoming schedule for new episodes, information about the departure from SQPN, and more. Big things are coming, and our supporters are the real stars!

ACH177: In the 1620s, a native American community in what would become Texas were evangelized by a mysterious lady in blue. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell the story of how a Spanish nun, Mary of Agreda, miraculously visited the Jumanos without leaving her Spanish monastery 5,000 miles away. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at...

ACH176: Catholics have had a tremendous impact on American food from the beginning. Tom and Noëlle Crowe explore a handful of these contributions, from wine and cheese at the California missions to Cajun and creole food in Louisiana to the Filet-o-Fish in McDonalds to muskrat dinners in the midwest and more Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make...

ACH175: The Maronite Shine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Ohio is a place of pilgrimage for Maronite Catholics throughout the US. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us the history of the shrine and of Maronites in the US, including the near-miraculous acquisition of the land on which is is built. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give...

ACH174: St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, originally built on a barge in 1782, is the oldest church in the state. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us that despite its small congregation, it has historical significance and ties to international and church politics. The church has faced challenges throughout the years but has persevered and is still standing in Plum Bayou. St. Mary’s Church is a symbol of perseverance and houses the grave of a potential saint. Get all new episodes...

ACH173: Mother Catherine Spalding helped found the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky in 1813. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how she spent 45 years leading and building the order and was responsible for dozens of schools, orphanages, infirmaries, and homes for the poor, leading her to be named one of the most influential women in Kentucky history. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to...

ACH172: Bob Newhart is one of the most influential and beloved comedians of the last 60 years, who set records with his comedy albums and TV shows. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how Newhart attributes both his 60-year marriage and successful career, in part, to his Catholic faith. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give...

ACH171: Andy Warhol is one of the most recognizable 20th century artists who was also known for his hedonist lifestyle. Tom and Noëlle Crowe discuss how he was also a Catholic who prayed and attended church regularly. How can we reconcile this contradiction to understand the real Warhol? Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at...

ACH170: When the USS Franklin was bombed on March 19, 1945, Fr. Joseph O’Callahan, the chaplain aboard, sprang into action. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us that not only did he administer sacraments, but he also led damage control actions that helped save the ship, leading to his being awarded the Medal of Honor. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you...

ACH169: In 1916, three brave Sisters of St. Joseph were arrested for teaching black children. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how, with Bishop Michael Curley of St. Augustine by their side, they fought the law and won! Discover their inspiring battle against segregation in Florida. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give...

ACH168: Joseph Warren Revere, grandson of Paul Revere, lived a life of military adventure, raised the American flag in California, and helped found the US Naval Academy. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how he converted to Catholicism during the Civil War and was devout the rest of his days. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at...

ACH167: Joseph Barbera was one half of the powerhouse animation duo of Hanna-Barbera. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how Joseph’s Catholic schooldays got him started in cartooning and how his crowning achievement was a return to his Catholic roots. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today? Links for this episode:...

ACH166: The Forrest Gump of early 19th-century US Catholics? Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us about this priest who seemed to know every important US Catholic of his time and yet is almost unheard of. So why was Fr. Samuel Cooper so important? Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today? Links for this episode: *...

ACH165: Mother Mary Lange founded the first religious order of black women in the US. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this woman of faith lived a life of service and patience, dedicated to spreading the Gospel, which may lead to her canonization. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today? Links for this episode:...

ACH164: Fr. Henry Duranquet, SJ, was called Apostle of the Tombs because of his decades ministering to convicts in New York’s prisons, including the prison known as “The Tombs.” Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how his patient Christlike work won over thousands of souls for Christ, including the most notorious killers. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t...

ACH163: Buffalo Bill Cody was a hard-living cowboy and one of the most famous people of his day, spreading the legend of the “Wild West” around the world, even meeting the Pope. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how in the end Bill found Christ and His Church. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today? Links for this...

ACH162: As 2022 ends, Tom and Noëlle Crowe change things up to review the year’s episodes, talk about what astounded them, discuss some of their Conversations, reveal what’s been going on in their lives, and chat about what they have in mind for the future of the show. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today? ...

ACH161: The oldest shrine in the US dedicated to the Blessed Mother is St. Augustine’s Our Lady of La Leche shrine. Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us how this devotion to the physical aspects of Mary’s motherhood of Jesus came to be in Florida and the unusual honor it has received from Pope Francis. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and follow on YouTube. Help us continue to offer American Catholic History. Won’t you make a pledge at...