The following is a modified version of an article written by Father Earl Fernandes for The Catholic Telegraph in Feb. 2011. The U.S. has a rich history of freedom. Still, every nation’s history is filled with shadows and light; great evils have been tolerated and even perpetuated. This year marks …

Where is Archbishop Purcell buried? I have heard that he might not have been buried in the grave bearing his name. There is an old riddle: “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” The answer could be “no one” (since his body, strictly speaking, remains entombed above ground in a mausoleum). We …

In 1833 the Diocese of Cincinnati encompassed the entire state of Ohio. Bishop Fenwick did what he could to minister to the French and Native American Catholics located 500 miles north of Cincinnati. But Catholics were scattered throughout the state and infrequently visited by a priest. Missionary efforts in the …

During the 1849 cholera epidemic that killed thousands in Cincinnati alone, parishioners of what is now Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cassella gathered in their log church and prayed to St. Sebastian for relief – and no one from the parish died. Maria-Kapelle (Maria Chapel) is the name …

    “History” is not the accumulation of facts in the past, but rather what we say about, and the use we put to, those facts. This is not to say the facts are unimportant, nor should they be manipulated by the historian. A conscientious historian wants to be as …

by Eileen Connelly, OSU For its 175-year history, the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in Downtown Cincinnati has stood as a testament to the faith of Catholics in the archdiocese. The impressive Greek Revival structure, located at the intersection of Eighth and Plum Streets, is dedicated to God in …

by Gail Finke There is a piece of the True Cross at Holy Cross-Immaculata in Mt. Adams. It is available for veneration on a side altar in the main church on Good Friday – see it when you pray the steps! Is the relic of the True Cross real? While …

The Cincinnati Reds were the 1st Major League Baseball team in 1869. Celebrating 150 years, the Archdiocesan Central Offices, Mascots from our Catholic High Schools, and the Drum Line from Purcell Marian High School marched in the 100th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. In 1869, Archbishop John Baptist Purcell led …

The ongoing legal disputes between the federal government and Little Sisters of the Poor and other Catholic groups opposed to providing contraceptives as part of their health insurance plans isn’t unique in American, or even local history. According to the book Faith and Action: A History of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, …