February 5: The Congregationalist Convert

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is February 5th, and our story is The Congregationalist Convert. In 2007, Francis Beckwith caused a stir when he resigned from his post as president of the Evangelical Theological Society to return to the Catholic Church. Beckwith's announcement, however, paled in comparison to the controversy caused by the conversion of Congregationalist minister John Thayer in 1783.

Boston born and Yale educated, Thayer hailed from one of New England's wealthiest families. During the American Revolution, he distinguished himself as a chaplain. Then, after the war, Thayer used the family money to fund an extended European tour. As he journeyed through France and Italy, the Catholic piety he encountered surprised him. It also aroused his curiosity.

Upon arriving in Rome, and with no intention of converting, Thayer set out to learn more about what Catholics believed. Months of discussions and debates with Jesuit priests followed. Eventually, the sheer reason of Catholicism overwhelmed him, and Thayer began wrestling with the implications of conversion. Even so, it took the death of the beggar saint Joseph Benedict Labre, and the first-hand accounts of the miracles that followed his death, to convince Thayer to enter the Catholic Church in 1783.

Four years later, while studying for the Catholic priesthood in France, Thayer published his conversion story. An overnight sensation, it was printed in England, Ireland, Spain, and France, as well as America, where Catholic priests praised him, and Protestant preachers from Boston to the Carolinas denounced him. Thayer took it all in stride, and was ordained in 1789.

He then returned to the United States, where he was stationed for short periods of time in Boston, Virginia, and Kentucky. He never managed to hold a pastoral assignment for long, though. Catholic priest or not, his preaching style remained decidedly congregationalist, forceful, and uncompromising, and Catholics in America didn't take to it.

Upon Bishop John Carroll's advice, Thayer finally moved to Limerick, Ireland, where his preaching found a more appreciative audience. He lived out the rest of his days there as a beloved parish priest, dying on February 5, 1815. John Thayer's journey shows how reason and encounter can lead to profound spiritual transformation.

His life encourages us to engage thoughtfully with questions of faith, trusting that seeking truth with humility can yield enduring impact. Reflect on a question of faith or conscience you've postponed exploring. Take one step this week toward deeper understanding or action.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Join us tomorrow, February 6th, for another story of faith and courage in America.