May 14: America's Catholic Founding Father

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is May 14th, and our story is America's Catholic Founding Father. On May 14th, 1787, Daniel Carroll was supposed to be in Philadelphia. The Constitutional Convention was set to begin there that day, and Maryland had elected him to serve as one of its delegates. But Carroll wasn't there. The older brother of future bishop John Carroll, Daniel studied in Europe with the Jesuits as a boy, and then returned home to run the family's plantation in Upper Marlborough, Maryland.

The estate spanned thousands of acres and demanded his near-constant attention. Because of that estate, Carroll had only reluctantly supported the American Revolution. He favored independence, but also feared the economic consequences of a failed rebellion. Fortunately, his worst fears didn't come to pass, and as the Revolution drew to a close, Maryland sent its reluctant patriot to the Continental Congress. Carroll served there from 1781 to 1784, and during his first year in office, he signed the Articles of Confederation.

In late April 1787, Carroll returned to political life when his state sent him to the Constitutional Convention. Before Carroll could leave for Philadelphia, however, he needed to get his affairs in order. Unfortunately, three weeks' notice proved insufficient, which accounted for Carroll's absence on May 14th. He wasn't the only tardy delegate, though. So few men arrived in Philadelphia by May 14th that the convention was delayed by almost two weeks.

When Carroll finally did make it to Philadelphia in July and signed the U.S. Constitution in September, he was one of only two Catholics to do so. He was also one of only five men to sign both the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation. After the convention, Carroll supported the presidential candidacy of his friend and business partner, George Washington. Then, from 1789 to 1791, Carroll represented Maryland in the first U.S. Congress and, in his last years, oversaw the site planning for Washington, D.C., a city that was largely built on land that once belonged to Carroll.

America's Catholic founding father died in 1796 at the age of 65. Daniel Carroll's life reflects the Catholic call to serve both God and society, balancing obligations with active participation in shaping the common good. Living as a person of faith does not require retreat from the world. It calls us to bring virtue, discernment, and moral guidance into our communities and nation. Reflect today on what virtue you can work for. to increase in your daily life.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, May 15th, for another story of faith and courage in America.