Today marks two special occasions:
1) On this day in 1844 Isaac Hecker was received into the Catholic Church at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Manhattan! Isaac entered the Church after a period of instruction by Bishop John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York.
2) Today is also the Memorial of Paulist patron St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). St. Alphonsus was (among other things): a moral theologian (known for his compassion and special care for the poor), bishop, spiritual writer, and confessor. He is now a Doctor of the Church.
Isaac Hecker served--most notably on the mission circuit--as a Redemptorist priest from 1849 until shortly before the founding of the Paulists in 1858. The other founders of the Paulists were also Redemptorists: Frs. George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, and Francis Baker. Another founding Paulist, Clarence Walworth, was also a Redemptorist priest. Walworth eventually departed from the community to serve the diocese of Albany.
Here is an informative video on St. Alphonsus Liguori, presented by Redemptorist Fr. Father Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R of the Edmonton-Toronto province.
1) On this day in 1844 Isaac Hecker was received into the Catholic Church at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Manhattan! Isaac entered the Church after a period of instruction by Bishop John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York.
2) Today is also the Memorial of Paulist patron St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). St. Alphonsus was (among other things): a moral theologian (known for his compassion and special care for the poor), bishop, spiritual writer, and confessor. He is now a Doctor of the Church.
Isaac Hecker served--most notably on the mission circuit--as a Redemptorist priest from 1849 until shortly before the founding of the Paulists in 1858. The other founders of the Paulists were also Redemptorists: Frs. George Deshon, Augustine Hewit, and Francis Baker. Another founding Paulist, Clarence Walworth, was also a Redemptorist priest. Walworth eventually departed from the community to serve the diocese of Albany.
Here is an informative video on St. Alphonsus Liguori, presented by Redemptorist Fr. Father Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R of the Edmonton-Toronto province.