June 7: Westward, Ho!

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is June 7th, and our story is Westward Ho. When the barons of American industry looked at the immigrants arriving from Ireland in the 19th century, they saw one thing, cheap labor. That's what they wanted from the Irish, and that's what they got.

Although the majority of those immigrants came to America hoping to continue the farming life they'd led in their homeland, most never made it past the great cities of the East Coast. The jobs were in the cities, as was the money. Some still dreamed of a farm in the country, far away from overcrowded tenements, but few factory jobs paid enough to make that dream a reality.

Then, in 1879, the Irish Catholic Colonization Association of the United States was born. Championed by Bishop John Spalding of Peoria and Bishop John Ireland of St. Paul, the CCA wanted to help Catholic immigrants escape the dangers of city and factory life. To that end, it bought large tracts of land in Illinois, Minnesota, and Kansas, then subdivided it into family farms. It next built homes, parishes, and schools on the land, and assigned a pastor to the community. Finally, it subsidized Catholic immigrants' travel out west and sold them the farms at a price well below market value.

Many, including the editorial board of the New York Times, doubted the scheme could work. When the editors of America's most esteemed newspaper learned of the plan, they asked in a June 7, 1879 editorial, will they succeed? They then answered, we doubt it. An Irish Catholic population is not the best for pioneer work or for founding institutions. They make a capital working population where Yankee brain and Protestant character lead them. But by themselves, we should apprehend many difficulties. An isolated colony of Irishmen and Romanists would learn nothing new and keep all that was bad in the old.

The priestly influence would be excessive and education very limited. In the years that followed, all the Irish immigrant farmers that the CCA successfully relocated had a delightful time proving the New York Times wrong. This story reminds us that risk and skepticism often accompany meaningful work, but perseverance, leadership, and shared values can overcome doubt. Faith and social action, when combined with courage and ingenuity, produce transformative outcomes that endure for generations. Identify one way you can empower or support others. your community's growth this week.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Join us tomorrow, June 8th, for another story of faith and courage in America.