Fred Allen was a hugely influential and beloved comic whose characters, tropes, and sketches have been imitated since his death. He also was a devout Catholic.
Episodes about "mid-atlantic"
The History of St. Patrick’s Day
As great as St. Patrick is and important to Ireland, as Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day didn’t become the cultural phenomenon it is until Irish-Americans essentially created it and exported it around the world.
Father Ferdinand Farmer
When Jesuit Father Ferdinand Farmer came to the US colonies before the Revolution, they were bitterly divided by religious intolerance. Tom and Noëlle tell us how his selfless, tireless efforts did much to break down the walls and help the Catholic faith to gain respect.
George Washington, Catholic?
Ever since he died, there has been speculation that George Washington converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. Tom and Noëlle Crowe look at the reasons why some think our first President did and the attitudes and actions in his life that were favorable toward Catholics.
Mary Edmonia Lewis
Mary Edmonia Lewis was a black Catholic woman and a great sculptor who gained respect and admiration around the world, but who had to leave the U.S. to gain it.
Mary Lou Williams
Mary Lou Williams was one of the great jazz musicians of the 20th century. As Tom and Noëlle Crowe tell us, when she’d had enough of the dissolute life that came with fame, Mary Lou eventually turned her heart to Christ, became Catholic, and put her musical talent in His hands.
The Philadelphia Nativist Riots
The Philadelphia Nativist Riots of 1844 were sparked by tensions between Catholics and Protestants over religious indoctrination in public schools.
Carl Schmitt
Carl Schmitt was a great American artist whose Catholic faith informed his understanding of how our ability to produce art fit into the designs of God.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Ann Seton was a wealthy socialite and then a convert. She founded parochial education and the daughters of charity, and is the first American-born saint.