Exhibit Highlights

Catholics in the English Colonies

The Catholic presence in British North America can be traced to 1634, with the arrival of two ships, the Ark and the Dove, at St. Clement Island on the Potomac River in Maryland. Among the passengers were two Jesuit priests, who had been invited to minister to the Catholic community.

Fighting for Religious Freedom

For Catholics, the fight for independence was motivated not just by political aspirations, but religious ones as well. They saw the revolution as an opportunity to secure the promise of religious freedom that had initially drawn many to the colonies.

Military Valor

Many Catholics served in prominent military leadership roles in the revolution. Among them were:

• Commodore John Barry – Commander of the USS Lexington, and the first to capture a British ship. He is regarded as the “Father of the American Navy.”
• Tadeusz Kosciuszko – Polish artillery commander who became a colonel in the Continental Army. His knowledge in topography and strategy contributed to the American victory at Saratoga.
• Stephen Moylan – Close advisor to General Washington. He was known as Washington’s right-hand man. He is also credited as the first person to employ the phrase “United States of America.”

Catholic Founding Fathers

Three Catholics were signers of the most significant documents establishing the Unites States. Charles Carroll, a Maryland representative to the Second Continental Congress was the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. Delgates to the Constitutional Convention Thomas Fitzsimons and Daniel Carroll were signers of the Constitution.

Bishop John Carroll and Maryland Tradition

John Carroll (1735-1815) was named the first Catholic bishop in the United States, overseeing the Diocese of Baltimore, which encompassed the entire country at the time. As bishop, he worked to promote a vision of “American” Catholicism that accepted religious pluralism and the separation of church and state.

The Revolutionary Spirit within the Church

In the wake of the revolution, Catholics in the United States embraced not only independence, but also the nation’s new republican principals. But were those principles compatible with Catholicism?

A Diverse Catholic Flock

Even though Catholics were a tiny fraction of the American population in the revolutionary era, they were a remarkably diverse group — a mix of established families and recent arrivals, “Americans” and foreigners, elites and commoners, rural and urban dwellers, free and enslaved.

Catholicism and the Age of Revolutions

The American Revolution produced a spark that reshaped the world, giving rise to an age of revolution that reverberated across the Atlantic and throughout the Americas. It would also shake the Catholic Church and force it to reckon with the new revolutionary spirit of the age.

Celebration and Commemoration

Over the generations, Catholics continued to honor the memory of the revolution and remind their fellow Americans of Catholic contribution to the struggle for independence.

We sincerely hope you enjoy this exhibit, prepared by students in Seton Hall University’s Public History practicum, the next time you attend one of our monthly lectures at the ACHS society house.

Quakers’ Toleration Led Skeptical Young Nation to Accept Catholics as Americans

By Thomas F. Rzeznik

Catholics were present in colonial America but faced restrictions and discrimination. In Philadelphia, the cradle of liberty, they found freedom and earned respect from their peers.

Read the story on Catholic Philly.

Catholics Had Prominent Roles in Last 3 Milestone Celebrations of America’s Founding

By Patrick Shank

In Philadelphia, Catholics left their mark on the Centennial, Sesquicentennial, and Bicentennial celebrations of America’s founding.

Read the story on Catholic Philly.

Not All Were Patriots: Remembering American Catholics Loyal to the British Crown

By Patrick Shank

While many noted Catholics sided with the American patriots during the Revolution, many lesser-known Catholics sided with Crown forces — and paid the price when they left.

Read the story on Catholic Philly.

About the authors

Thomas Rzeznik is an ACHS Board Member and co-editor of the Society’s quarterly journal, American Catholic Studies. He is professor of history at Seton Hall University.

Patrick Shank is an ACHS Board Member and Archivist for the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Early Catholic Life

1. One of the earliest public Catholic Masses in the American colonies was celebrated in Philadelphia in 1707.

2. Old St. Joseph’s Church (1733) is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the United States.

3. Old St. Mary’s Church (1763) was one of the first Catholic churches built publicly in colonial America.

4. A Mass of thanksgiving for the Declaration of Independence was celebrated at Old St. Mary’s in 1779, attended by members of the Continental Congress.

Parishes for Immigrants

5. The first national parish in the United States for German-speaking Catholics was Holy Trinity Church was established in 1789.

6. St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Church was among the earliest Italian Catholic parishes in the United States.

7. Philadelphia became a model for ethnic parishes that later spread across the United States.

Catholic Education

8. The first organized diocesan parish school system in the United States was created by St. John Neumann.

9. St. John Neumann built nearly 100 Catholic schools during his episcopacy in the diocese.

10. The first free Catholic high school for boys in the United States was Roman Catholic High School, established in 1890.

11. The first diocesan Catholic high school for girls in the United States was John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School, established in 1912.

Devotions and Spiritual Life

12. The first introduction of the Forty Hours Devotion in the United States was introduced by St. John Neumann in 1853.

13. Philadelphia became a national center for Eucharistic devotion in the 19th century.

Saints and Holy Figures

14. The first male saint of the United States was St. John Neumann (canonized 1977).

15. The first saint born a U.S. citizen was St. Katharine Drexel (canonized 2000).

16. Philadelphia is the only U.S. diocese with two canonized saints buried within it.

17. St. Katharine Drexel founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Philadelphia.

Catholic Social Outreach

18. Beneficial Bank (1853) was created to help immigrants safely save money.

19. Philadelphia developed one of the earliest Catholic charitable networks in the United States.

20. Catholic hospitals, orphanages, and social ministries in Philadelphia became models for Catholic charity nationwide.

National and International Church Events

21. Pope John Paul II made the first papal visit to Philadelphia in 1979.

22. The First World Meeting of Families in the United States was hosted in Philadelphia in 2015.

23. Pope Francis visited Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families in 2015. More than one million people attended the public Mass.

Historical Influence

24. Philadelphia helped shape the American model of Catholic parish life, schools, and immigrant ministry.

25. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia became one of the largest and most influential Catholic dioceses in the United States.

Many traditions and institutions that began here helped to shape American Catholic life. Philadelphia helped to establish Catholic schools, immigrant parishes, Eucharistic devotions, charitable institutions, and even two American saints, making it one of the most historically significant Catholic dioceses in the United States.

Thank you to Sister Margaret Rose Adams, IHM for creating this list on behalf of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The presentation was recorded in case you missed it.

We look forward to hearing Tracy’s words of inspiration as we honor this year’s recipient of the Commodore John Barry Award, Daniel M. DiLella, Chairman, Equus Capital Partners, Ltd.

Davidson earned a religious studies certificate from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in 2008, and holds a Master’s degree in Holistic Spirituality from Chestnut Hill College. In a 2010 interview with the Inquirer, she said her studies are related to the Christian faith to “help people on their journey to be closer to God.”

A sought-after motivational speaker and keynote presenter, she brings that same fearless energy that defined her journalism career to audiences across the country, inspiring women to advocate for themselves, level up their careers, and live with purpose.

Philip Chivily, a doctoral student in history at Baylor University, is researching the development of Black Catholic communities in the Chesapeake region following the Civil War. His dissertation, “Where the Mission Ended: Black Catholics and the Unfinished Work of the Mill Hill and Josephite Fathers in the Post-Civil War Chesapeake,” examines how Black Catholic laypeople and clergy worked with Mill Hill and Josephite missionaries to build stable parishes, institutions, and a distinct Black Catholic identity during Reconstruction and the late nineteenth century. 

The ACHS Research Travel Grant will cover the costs of Chivily’s travel to the Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Archives of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, the Archives of the Diocese of Wilmington, and the Delaware Public Archives. 

Listen to the interview

A 1979 graduate of Roman Catholic, Gibbons has always had an interest in military history. He wondered why the school had a bronze plaque commemorating the school’s alumni who died in World War II, but nothing for World War I.

In the interview he discusses his initial research of Roman WWI veterans through existing records at the school, and how that expanded to additional sources, which included records maintained by the ACHS. Gibbons has been working on this project for more than 15 years.

His first book, Soldiers, Space, and Stories of Life is a collection of his published essays about the harrowing experiences of America’s war veterans, the thrilling wonders of space exploration, and his poignant memories of growing up during the turbulent decades of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Gibbons also serves on the Roman Board of Trustees.

In February 1943, Stephen Kane, an Irish-born Catholic military chaplain from Iowa, was captured by the Germans in North Africa. He declined repatriation so he could minister to prisoners of war, subsequently enduring twenty-eight months of imprisonment as a POW, including time as the only American chaplain imprisoned in the infamous Stalag 17.

If you missed it you can watch the presentation here.

The society presents educational presentations monthly. View our events calendar to see upcoming lectures.

DiLella is a principal of Equus Capital Partners, Ltd., serving as the Firm’s Chairman. Under DiLella’s leadership, Equus has grown to become a multi-faceted national real estate investment company with expertise in development, investment, asset management, and property management. DiLella’s career as a real estate specialist spans nearly four decades and includes experience in all types of real estate investment and developments throughout the United States. Prior to joining Equus, DiLella was Vice President of Girard Bank in Philadelphia, where he had a 10-year career in the Commercial Real Estate Department as a lender and a member of the asset recovery team.

Villanova University Trustee

DiLella was a member of the Board of Trustees of Villanova University and funded the establishment of the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate at the Villanova University School of Business where he is Chair of the Real Estate Advisory Council. Mr. DiLella is the recipient of the St. Thomas of Villanova Alumni Medal and the Villanova Bartley Alumni Medallion.

Roman Catholic High School Chair and Benefactor

DiLella is a 1969 graduate of Roman Catholic High School and has served on Roman’s board since it was incepted in 1991. In 2025, DiLella made a $10 million contribution to Roman Catholic High School to benefit the construction of a new Science Technology Engineering and Mathematic Center. He said, “I want to create the best STEM Center in the region for the young men of Philadelphia.”

U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission Chair

DiLella served as Chairperson of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission from February 2018 to July 2022, following his prior appointment by Congress as one of the Commission’s 16 private citizens. 

Additional Volunteerism

Dilello serves on the Boards of the National Italian American Foundation and the Museum of the American Revolution. Previous board appointments include the President of the Union League of Philadelphia as well as Chairman of the Scholarship Foundation. 

He has also supported the Barnes Foundation, the Battleship New Jersey, the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, the Committee of Seventy, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Police Foundation, the Philly Pops, and the Drexel University Real Estate Advisory Council.

Mark your calendar for the 2026 Barry Dinner – November 24, 2026!

The American Catholic Historical Society will be honoring Daniel DiLello at the 2026 Commodore Barry Award Dinner on Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at the Union League of Philadelphia.

The Commodore Barry Award is presented annually to any American who, by their character and their contributions to the church, the community and professional accomplishments, has distinguished themself.

In the interview, they discuss:

• Philadelphia as a hub for the research of American Catholic History.
• The Catholic Historical Research Center of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
• The role of the ACHS to historical scholars.
• Expanding the awareness of ACHS collections to more audiences.
• Finnegan’s background and longevity in serving the organization, as well as other topics.

Read the interview about the evolution of ACHS and the Barry Award Dinner.