October 26: General Revere

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is October 26th, and our story is General Revere. Joseph Warren Revere, grandson of the American patriot Paul Revere, was no stranger to war. After joining the U.S. Navy in 1828 at the age of 16, Revere combated the African slave trade in the Pacific and witnessed the Spanish-Carlos War in the Atlantic.

He also served with the Mosquito Fleet along Florida's coast during the Seminole War, and raised the American flag above Sonoma during the Mexican-American War. Through the years, shipwrecks, disease, and death became routine for Revere, but nothing prepared him for the bloody battles of the American Civil War.

Revere had retired from the U.S. Navy in 1850, and naval politics made a return to the sea difficult. So, when the Civil War began, he enlisted in the Union Army instead, receiving the rank of colonel. In the war's first year, Revere saw action with the 7th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, and the Second Battle of Bull Run. The Union Army commended him for his bravery, but the brutality he encountered left Revere badly shaken. In the fall of 1862, as Union troops regrouped, Revere went to Washington, D.C.

One day, still struggling with all he'd experienced that year, Revere happened upon a Catholic church and went in to pray. Although Revere was familiar with the church's teachings, he was neither a Catholic nor a particularly religious man. That day, however, something changed. Soon, he found a priest and told him he wished to become Catholic. After talking the matter over, the priest agreed. He baptized Revere on October 19th and gave him his first Holy Communion on October 26th, 1862.

Revere then returned to battle for another year as a brigadier general. After the war, General Revere joined Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Morristown, New Jersey. An accomplished painter, he gave the parish one of his best works, Espousal of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph. It hung for more than a century in the church's Marian Isle. Revere died in 1880.

Revere's story shows that even amidst chaos, God's grace can bring transformation. Faith is not limited to quiet lives. It can take root in the midst of turmoil. Reflect on moments of stress or uncertainty in your life. Take a pause today to pray, seeking guidance and peace from God.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, October 27th, for another story of faith and courage in America.