Reflecting on the remarkable lives of bold Catholic figures, those attending a diocesan men’s conference March 7 were urged to consider the enduring witness of saints and leaders who helped shape “the great American Catholic story.”
According to The Arlington Catholic Herald, Matthew Bunson, vice president and editorial director of EWTN News, addressed about 400 men gathered at St. Joseph Church in Herndon, Virginia, about the unique heritage of Catholics in America today.
“We live and pray and work as successors and sons of spiritual and intellectual giants,” Bunson said during his speech.
Those giants include Archbishop John Carroll, Saint Junípero Serra, Saint Frances Cabrini, and Archbishop Fulton Sheen, according to Bunson.
As the U.S. prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, Bunson encouraged the men to draw inspiration from the nation’s first bishop, John Carroll, who was appointed to Baltimore, the nation’s first diocese. He was a strong advocate for religious freedom.
“The trajectory of American Catholicism,” Bunson said, “belongs to John Carroll’s indispensable role as its organizational cornerstone.”
Bunson noted that Pope Pius VI appointed Bishop Carroll Superior of Missions in 1784, a move reportedly recommended by Benjamin Franklin, who later publicly claimed credit for the appointment.
Bunson also reflected on the work of St. Frances Cabrini, whose service to the poor helped immigrant families build new lives in America.
Bunson noted that Cabrini herself became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1909 and ministered to immigrant communities by founding schools, hospitals, and charitable institutions that served the poor and newly arrived families.
“Thanks to her,” Bunson said, “generations of Italians and other immigrant families were able to find a permanent home in America to thrive as Catholics and as Americans. In effect, mother Cabrini was a powerful architect for countless American Catholics finding the American dream.”
Bunson also highlighted the missionary work of St. Junípero Serra, explaining how the Franciscan friar baptized thousands and advocated for native peoples, even helping secure protections that Bunson likened to a bill of rights long before similar measures in the U.S.
Turning to Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Bunson described how the popular television and radio preacher brought Catholic teaching into American living rooms during the 1950s.
“Sheen’s media apostolate mirrored earlier missionaries proving Catholicism’s compatibility with American freedom while urging heroic virtue,” he said.
Bunson concluded the conference by urging the men to reflect on their lives and consider how their own personal stories fit into the broader Catholic story of America.
“In thinking about your own family lineage, your family, long or short in the United States, how is it a part of the great American Catholic story?”