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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

24:20

Ep 2.64: The Passing of an Era and the Dawn of a New One

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

2026/02/20

This episode brings Volume 2 to a close with the final chapter of Archbishop John Joseph Kain’s short and turbulent episcopacy. Monsignor and Teresa trace Archbishop Kain’s declining health, his desperate attempts to secure an auxiliary, and his final months spent seeking relief from the burdens of office—culminating in his death in October 1903 at just sixty‑two years old. The narrative highlights the smooth but poignant transition to Bishop John J. Glennon, appointed coadjutor by Pope Leo XIII

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25:11

Ep 2.63: Crisis, Conflict, and the Cathedral That...

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

2026/02/20

This episode follows Archbishop John Joseph Kain into the most turbulent years of his short episcopacy in St. Louis, highlighting both the rapid growth of rural parishes and the internal challenges that soon engulfed his administration. Monsignor and Teresa explore the founding of communities such as Centralia, New Haven, Canton, and White Church—often built through heroic priestly persistence and immigrant resilience—before turning to the heartbreaking story of Archbishop Kain’s failed cathedral

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23:04

Ep 2.62: New Parishes and the Great Tornado of 1896

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

2026/02/20

This episode follows Archbishop John Joseph Kain through the early years of his leadership as St. Louis continues to grow rapidly with new parishes in both rural Missouri and the city’s expanding neighborhoods. Monsignor and Teresa highlight the founding of St. Barbara’s and several mission parishes, showing how priests built communities from scratch—often before a resident pastor could be assigned. The discussion takes a dramatic turn with the story of the devastating Great Tornado of 1896, which

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22:52

Ep 2.61: A New Archbishop in a Great Catholic City

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

2026/02/20

This episode explores the early years of Archbishop John Joseph Kain’s leadership as he steps from the small, mission‑territory Diocese of Wheeling into the complex, sprawling Archdiocese of St. Louis. Monsignor and Teresa trace Kain’s transition into a community with hundreds of priests, parishes, missions, and chapels—an overwhelming contrast to his former post—and the sorrowful backdrop of Archbishop Kenrick’s death. The narrative highlights the arrival of Apostolic Delegate Cardinal Satolli, the

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24:36

Ep 60: The Lion and the Co Adjutor

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

2026/02/09

This episode examines the painful final years of Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick’s long episcopacy and the troubled transition that followed his golden jubilee. Monsignor and Teresa recount the failed effort to secure Father Philip Brady as co‑adjutor, the resulting fracture among the clergy, and the personal toll it took on both men. As Kenrick’s health declined, Rome intervened by appointing Bishop John Joseph Kain, leading to an uneasy coexistence marked by silence, legal conflict, and wounded

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25:11

Ep 2.59: Kenrick’s Golden Jubilee

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

2026/02/09

This episode centers on the extraordinary fiftieth anniversary of Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick’s leadership in St. Louis, a milestone rarely seen in American Church history. Monsignor and Teresa recount how the jubilee celebrations became a flashpoint in the wider debate over immigration, Americanization, and cultural identity, with Monsignor Francis Goller delivering a powerful Latin address defending immigrants as a gift rather than a threat. The festivities—marked by speeches, music, parades,

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25:09

Ep 2.58: Monsignor Goller and the German Question

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

2026/02/09

This episode takes a closer look at Monsignor Francis Salinas Goller, the long‑serving pastor of St. Peter and Paul in Soulard and one of the most influential priests in nineteenth‑century St. Louis. Monsignor and Teresa explore Goller’s decisive role at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, where his passionate advocacy for Catholic schools helped shape American parish life for generations. The discussion then turns to his leadership among German‑speaking clergy and his involvement in efforts to

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25:06

Ep 2.57: Gahensleyism and the Question of Assimilation

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

2026/02/09

This episode examines the late‑nineteenth‑century debate over immigration, language, and Catholic identity through the controversy known as the Lucerne Memorial or “Gahensleyism.” Monsignor and Teresa explore how proposals for national parishes and language‑based clergy alarmed American bishops who feared the fragmentation of the Church and the weakening of American civic unity. The discussion highlights Cardinal James Gibbons’s decisive role in defusing the crisis and articulating a vision of

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26:21

Ep 56: Americanization and the Immigrant Church

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

2026/02/09

This episode explores the rising tension between immigrant Catholic communities and American‑born bishops who sought rapid assimilation in the late nineteenth century. Monsignor and Teresa examine how memories of anti‑Catholic violence and nativist attacks shaped the bishops’ determination to “Americanize” newcomers before xenophobia could resurface. The discussion focuses on growing suspicions toward German Catholics, especially amid disputes over episcopal appointments and parish autonomy in the

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23:31

Ep 2.54: Rebuilding After the Chicago Fire

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

2026/02/02

This episode continues the story of St. Louis as a cradle of bishops by following its clergy into the devastation left by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Monsignor and Teresa recount how Bishop Thomas Foley—followed by Archbishop Patrick Feehan, both ordained in St. Louis—led Chicago’s Catholic community through an extraordinary period of rebuilding and expansion. The discussion highlights the surge of new parishes, religious communities, schools, and hospitals that rose from the ashes, alongside

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22:44

Ep 2.55: Language, Loyalty, and the German Question

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

2026/02/02

This episode examines the surge of parish foundations in the 1880s and the cultural tensions that accompanied a massive wave of European Catholic immigration. Monsignor and Teresa trace how German, Irish, Polish, and English‑speaking Catholics built churches and schools—often without resident priests for decades—revealing both deep faith and extraordinary sacrifice. The discussion explores how language, identity, and religious loyalty became inseparable for German Catholics shaped by the

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21:48

Ep 2.53: The Cradle of Bishops

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

2026/02/02

This episode explores St. Louis’s extraordinary role as a formative center for Catholic leadership in the American heartland. Monsignor and Teresa trace how priests formed in St. Louis went on to shape dioceses across the Midwest, focusing on Dubuque and Chicago as prime examples of missionary growth, institutional building, and pastoral resilience. The discussion highlights figures such as Bishops Loras, Smith, Hennessy, Vander Velde, O’Regan, and Duggan—men whose successes and struggles reveal

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24:00

Ep 2.52: Parks, Progress, and the Exodusters

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

2026/02/02

This episode surveys the vibrant and often overlooked developments of 1870s St. Louis, from the creation of Forest Park and Tower Grove Park to early experiments with air cooling and the dramatic debut of the telephone. Monsignor and Teresa explore how civic pride, technological innovation, and public leisure reshaped the city’s landscape during a decade often dismissed as uneventful. The conversation then turns to the largely forgotten story of the Exodusters—thousands of formerly enslaved African

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23:11

Ep 2.51: Schools, Socialism, and Father James Henry

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

2026/02/02

This episode explores the aftermath of the Great Strike of 1877 as socialist politics in St. Louis shift from the streets into the classroom. Monsignor and Teresa examine the Working Men’s Party’s push for control of the public school system, debates over high schools, kindergartens, free textbooks, and the growing conflict with Catholic education. At the center of the story is Father James Henry, a formidable Irish priest whose quiet political strategy fractured the socialist coalition and

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23:53

Ep. 2. 50: The Great Divorce and the Strike of 1877

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

2026/01/26

This milestone episode explores two defining crises that reshaped St. Louis in the late nineteenth century: the Great Divorce separating the city from the county and the explosive General Strike of 1877. Monsignor and Teresa trace how infrastructure costs, political rivalries, and tax inequities drove the city and county apart, while economic collapse and wage cuts ignited the largest general strike in American history. The discussion follows the spread of labor unrest from the railroads to

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22:33

Ep. 2. 49: The Great Divorce and the General Strike

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

2026/01/26

This episode examines two traumatic turning points in 1870s St. Louis history: the separation of the city from St. Louis County and the explosive General Strike of 1877. Monsignor and Teresa unpack how mounting infrastructure costs, unequal taxation, and diverging political loyalties led to the “Great Divorce,” a decision whose consequences still shape the region today. Beneath the city’s outward prosperity, they also uncover the roots of widespread labor unrest that culminated in the largest

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23:27

Ep. 2. 48: Picturing St. Louis in 1875

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

2026/01/26

This episode turns to the booming, self‑confident St. Louis of the 1870s through the lens of Pictorial St. Louis, the remarkable 1875 bird’s‑eye survey by Richard J. Compton and artist Camille Dry. Monsignor and Teresa explore how this extraordinary volume captures the city at its peak—its industries, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and dominant Catholic presence—offering the most detailed visual snapshot of any American city in the nineteenth century. Using Compton’s statistics, the conversation

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24:54

Ep. 2. 47: Bridges, Parishes, and the Shape of a City

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

2026/01/26

This episode explores how the construction of the Eads Bridge transformed St. Louis—economically, geographically, and even ecclesiastically. Monsignor and Teresa recount James B. Eads’ daring engineering feat and the unintended consequence of undermining the nearby Church of the Immaculate Conception, a chain of events that ultimately shaped the future location of St. Louis’s cathedral. The discussion widens to survey the remarkable postwar expansion of parishes across both urban St. Louis and the

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25:11

Ep. 2. 46: Growth, Rivalry, and a City in Transition

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

2026/01/26

This episode continues the post–Vatican I portrait of St. Louis as new parishes emerge amid rapid population growth and shifting economic forces. Monsignor and Teresa trace the founding of rural and urban communities—such as Immaculate Conception in Union, Sacred Heart in Florissant, and St. Francis de Sales—highlighting the leadership of German clergy and the resilience of immigrant Catholics. The conversation widens to place these parish stories within the growing competition between St. Louis and

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23:38

Ep. 2. 45: Life After Vatican I

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

2026/01/19

This episode marks a return from the drama of Vatican I to daily life in post–Civil War St. Louis, as Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick resumes leadership at home. Monsignor and Teresa trace the founding of new parishes during and after the war—especially among German Catholics in South and North St. Louis—highlighting communities such as St. Boniface, Holy Cross in Baden, and St. Teresa of Avila. The conversation also explores the creation of St. Elizabeth’s parish for African‑American Catholics, a

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