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PODCAST

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of America’s Heartland

Covenant Network

Msgr. Michael John Witt was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1990. Before that, he served the Church for twenty-two years as a Christian Brother teaching in Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee. He holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History from Saint Louis University and a Masters in Divinity from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. He has served the archdiocese as associate pastor, pastor, Director of Continuing Formation for Priests, and Director of the Permanent Diaconate. Following his

history

All Episodes

22:46

Ep 3.20: A Diocese on the Move: Twelve New Parishes...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/16

In this episode, Monsignor and Teresa step into one of the most dynamic bursts of Catholic growth in St. Louis history. Between 1904 and 1910—barely six years—the Archdiocese founded twelve new parishes, a sign of a city and county rapidly expanding, shifting, and redefining itself at the dawn of the 20th century.Monsignor guides listeners through this remarkable wave of parish-building, beginning with Immaculate Conception in Maplewood, where three tireless Loretto sisters managed 150 children,

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25:04

Ep 3.19: Early 20th Century Parishes (1900-1903)

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/16

Monsignor and Teresa continue their journey through the expanding Catholic landscape of early‑20th‑century St. Louis, turning their attention to the first wave of new parishes founded after 1900. With Archbishop Kain’s final years as the backdrop, they explore four emerging communities—two that still thrive today and two that have since closed—each shaped by shifting neighborhoods, immigrant populations, and the rapid growth of the county.

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22:13

Ep 3.18: The Outer Ring: Rural Parishes Beyond the...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/16

This episode continues our journey through the Catholic roots of the St. Louis region, moving beyond the county line to explore the historic rural parishes that shaped Catholic life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Monsignor and Teresa trace a wide arc—from the banks of the Mississippi to the rolling farmland of St. Charles County—revealing how faith communities took root long before suburban growth transformed the landscape. We begin with St. Francis of Assisi in Portage des Sioux (1779), one of

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22:14

Ep 3.17: Bricks, Mortar, and the Making of Catholic...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/16

This episode continues our sweeping tour of the historic Catholic parishes that shaped St. Louis County long before suburban life took root. Monsignor and Teresa pick up where they left off—moving south and west from Clayton—and uncover the stories behind some of the region’s oldest faith communities. They explore the deep roots of St. Peter in Kirkwood, founded in the 1830s and shepherded by pastors who would go on to become bishops and archdiocesan leaders. From there, they trace the growth of

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24:28

Ep 3.16: Bricks and Mortar: The County Begins to Rise

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/16

In this episode, Monsignor and Teresa open Chapter Four—Bricks and Mortar—and turn their attention to the remarkable expansion of Catholic life beyond the city limits. As St. Louis surges past 700,000 residents in the early 20th century, the county begins its own quiet transformation, fueled by streetcars, new roads, and the growing desire for space, fresh air, and parish life closer to home. Monsignor traces the story of the twelve original county parishes, beginning with the oldest: St. Ferdinand

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22:03

Ep 3. 15: The War That Changed Everything

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/09

As the First World War draws to a close, Monsignor and Teresa trace how the conflict reshaped both the nation and the Church. President Wilson’s sweeping progressive vision transforms American life, mobilizing not just an army but an entire society—and leaving structures that will endure long after the armistice. Within the Church, Archbishop Glennon and Catholic leaders mirror that same impulse, building the National Catholic War Council and pioneering a new era of coordinated Catholic action.The

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24:08

Ep 3.14: St. Louis Priests in the Great War

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/09

This episode follows the Archdiocese of St. Louis into the First World War, tracing how Missouri’s soldiers—and especially its priests—answered the call once the United States entered the conflict in 1917. Monsignor and Teresa explore the scale of mobilization, from the 750,000 Missourians who registered for the draft to the doctors, nurses, and engineers trained in St. Louis and at nearby Scott Field. The narrative highlights the remarkable number of local clergy who volunteered as chaplains,

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24:14

Ep 3.13: America Enters the Great War

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/09

This episode follows the tense months between Woodrow Wilson’s 1916 re election and the moment the United States finally entered World War I, tracing how global events, political pressures, and a series of German missteps pushed the nation past the point of neutrality. Monsignor and Teresa begin with the fierce debate over military preparedness, as progressives resisted expansion while Wilson—caught between ideology and responsibility—moved toward strengthening the armed forces. The Revenue Act of

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25:14

Ep 3.12: Germans, Irish, and the Battle for American...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/09

This episode explores the political and cultural crosscurrents that swept through St. Louis as World War I erupted in Europe—especially the surprising alliance between German‑ and Irish‑American Catholics who worked together to keep the United States out of the conflict. Monsignor and Teresa begin with a brief detour into the world of German Jewish immigrants, whose early success and internal debates—most notably over establishing a kosher Jewish Hospital—reflect the city’s broader diversity and

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26:33

Ep 3.11: St. Stanislaus, Ethnic Parishes, and the...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/09

This episode traces the rise of St. Louis’s ethnic parishes in the early 20th century, beginning with the Polish community and the long, complicated history of St. Stanislaus Kostka. Monsignor and Teresa follow the Poles from their early days worshipping in borrowed basements—where their powerful congregational singing literally drowned out the German choir upstairs—to the founding of their own parish under the leadership of the dynamic Franciscan‑turned‑diocesan pastor Father Urban Stanowski. His

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25:17

Ep 3.10: A Polyglot City — Italians, Lebanese, and...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/02

This episode opens with a striking moment in 1916, when Archbishop Glennon celebrates a Requiem Mass for Emperor Franz Joseph and has the announcement repeated in seven languages—German, Hungarian, Bohemian, Slovak, Croatian, and Ruthenian—revealing the extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity of early‑20th‑century St. Louis. Monsignor and Teresa use this moment to introduce the many immigrant communities whose faith, traditions, and struggles shaped the city’s Catholic identity.The

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26:25

Ep 3.09: The Spirit of St. Louis — Charity Organized...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/02

This episode continues the story of St. Louis’s remarkable charitable awakening at the turn of the 20th century, beginning with the expanding work of Father Timothy Dempsey. Monsignor and Teresa trace how Dempsey, already sheltering hundreds of homeless men, turned his attention to the equally vulnerable women arriving in the city for factory work. His solution was the St. Patrick’s Home for Working Women, a safe, family‑like residence run by Mary Coughlin, offering affordable lodging, meals, and

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23:49

Ep 3.08: Father Dempsey, Father Dunn, and the Fight...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/02

This episode continues the exploration of St. Louis’s immigrant poverty and introduces two of the city’s most remarkable Catholic champions: Father Timothy Dempsey and Father Peter Dunn. Monsignor and Teresa begin by noting the parallel charitable efforts among Jewish and African American communities before turning to the dire conditions faced by thousands of men living in downtown flophouses. It is here that Father Dempsey—newly appointed to the declining St. Patrick’s Parish—encounters the grim

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25:08

Ep 3.07: Life in the Slums and the First Waves of...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/02

This episode turns to the stark realities of St. Louis’s poorest neighborhoods at the turn of the 20th century. Monsignor and Teresa follow the work of journalist photographer Jacob Riis, invited by the Civic Improvement League to document the city’s tenements. His findings reveal overcrowded two room flats packed with a dozen or more laborers, windowless first floor rooms, backyard alleys filled with refuse, and entire blocks where running water and bathing were luxuries few could access. With

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22:58

Ep 3.06: The Big Cinch and the Other St. Louis

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/03/02

This episode contrasts the two worlds of St. Louis at the dawn of the 20th century—the prosperous elite shaping the city’s future and the impoverished families struggling to survive in its neglected neighborhoods. Monsignor and Teresa begin with the city’s post–World’s Fair boom, where skilled artisans, stable banks, and expanding industries fueled westward growth and filled the Central West End with architect designed mansions. They introduce the powerful inner circle known as the “Big Cinch,” the

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22:13

Ep 3.05: Cardinal Glennon and the Ivory City

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/02/23

This episode explores the 1904 World’s Fair through the eyes of Archbishop John Joseph Glennon, who found himself thrust into its orbit almost immediately upon arriving in St. Louis. Monsignor and Teresa trace Glennon’s uneasy relationship with the fair’s organizers, beginning with his firm refusal to participate in an ecumenical congress and continuing through the awkward end run that brought Papal Nuncio Cardinal Satolli to St. Louis without proper protocol. Despite the missteps, Glennon received

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23:30

Ep 3.04: Reformers, Strikers, and a City Preparing...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/02/23

This episode continues the story of turn of the century St. Louis, where Archbishop Glennon steps into leadership just as the city confronts its own political and social turmoil. Monsignor and Teresa trace the aftermath of the “boodle” scandals, highlighting reformers like Mayor Rolla Wells and circuit attorney Joseph Folk, whose investigations exposed the deep ties between corrupt aldermen, business interests, and political boss Ed Butler.The narrative then widens to the stark contrasts within St

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24:47

Ep 3.03: A New Archbishop and a Corrupt City

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/02/23

This episode follows Archbishop‑elect John Joseph Glennon as he steps into leadership amid the final decline of Archbishop John Joseph Kain. Monsignor and Teresa trace Glennon’s early months in St. Louis—from representing the archdiocese at the World’s Fair ceremonies to reorganizing diocesan administration after Kain’s death in October 1903. As Glennon settles into his new role, the narrative widens to the city he has inherited: a St. Louis riddled with political corruption, exposed nationally by

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23:56

Ep 3.02: Trials, Patience, and the Making of an...

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/02/23

This episode follows the early priesthood of John Joseph Glennon, revealing how unexpected trials in Kansas City shaped the future leader of St. Louis. Monsignor and Teresa trace Glennon’s rocky start at St. Patrick’s—where his energetic repairs and financial stewardship were met with hostility from his returning pastor—leading Bishop Hogan to grant him a rare leave for study in Europe. Upon his return, Glennon’s gifts quickly emerged: he revitalized the cathedral parish, strengthened its school,

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23:11

Ep 3.01: The Age of Cardinals Begins

Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of... ·

2026/02/23

This episode opens Book Three with the arrival of 1903—a turning point for both St. Louis and its Church. Monsignor and Teresa set the stage by exploring the world into which Archbishop‑to‑be John Joseph Glennon would soon step: a bustling city preparing for the World’s Fair, captivated by the arrival of the naval Monitor Arkansas, and shaped by ethnic tensions, immigration debates, and rapid urban growth. Drawing from local newspapers, they highlight stories such as Father Jeremiah Harding’s

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