From Pope Pontian to Pope Benedict XVI, only a handful of St Peter's successors have resigned from the papacy. And the evidence is suspect that half of these possible resignations actually happened. In this episode Scott treks back thru these 11 possible papal resignations. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin S…

Several Pierres appear in the story of the historic Church of Saint-Pierre—St. Peter's Church in Jefferson, South Dakota. (Cradles of Catholicism series, no. 27, South Dakota) Please consider supporting this podcast by contributing through PayPal (KevinSchmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek)

In this episode Scott treks thru the story of the saintly knight Galgano and his sword in the stone, which may have served as the inspiration for the legend of King Arthur and his own sword in a stone. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!…

Christianity came to China no later than the 600s, but, from Confucian sages to Communist despots, its growth has faced strong headwinds ever since. Kevin and Scott recount the stories of a few of the exceptional figures in this history, including Franciscan missionaries, Jesuit scholars, and the “three pillars of Chinese Catholicism." To help Cath…

St Leonard of Port Maurice was arguably the greatest missionary of the 18th century. In this episode Scott treks thru the life of St Leonard and his famous sermon on the little number of those who are saved. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!…

Mobile's current Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception traces its roots all the way back to 1703. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 26, Alabama) Please consider supporting this podcast by contributing through PayPal (KevinSchmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek)

In 1966 the Dutch bishops released a new catechism with much excitement, as the first one to be published after the 2nd Vatican Council. But when the spirit of the age trumped the doctrines of the Church, problems arose. In this episode Scott treks thru the background, history, and response to this infamous catechism. To help Catholic History Trek,…

Agnus Dei is a name for Jesus as the “Lamb of God” and is a prayer said during mass. But Agnus Dei was also the name for a highly prized papal sacramental. In this episode Scott treks thru the holy, and political, history of the sacramental Agnus Dei. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHisto…

Scott and Kevin venture beyond the city walls to explore the history of Catholicism and agriculture. From peasants to plantations, from hermits to homesteaders, from breeding to beekeeping, faith and farming have been companions through the centuries. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHisto…

Marking the halfway point in his trek across all fifty states, Kevin explores the historic churches of southwestern Illinois, especially Immaculate Conception in Kaskaskia and Holy Family in Cahokia. ("Cradles of Catholicism" series, no. 25, Illinois)

Genesius set out to please the Roman emperor Diocletian with an anti-Christian comedy act. But then things took an unexpected turn. Find out what happened in this episode of Catholic History Trek. ("Martyrs" series no. 3, Martyrdom of St Genesius) To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (CatholicHistoryTrek@gmail.com) Tha…

In hopes of atoning for at least some of their sins, Scott and Kevin humbly offer this episode on the history of the Sacrament of Penance, aka Confession, aka Reconciliation. Is listening to it a penance or a guilty pleasure? You decide. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank …

What’s more Catholic than fasting and long, barefooted processions? Scott revisits the history and convergence of the Church’s long-forgotten Rogation Days. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (CatholicHistoryTrek@gmail.com) Thank you for your support!

Connecticut’s earliest Catholics worshiped in homes, barns, a Masonic hall, and finally, an Episcopalian hand-me-down, the state’s first Catholic church. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 24, Connecticut) To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schmiesing@CatholicHistoryTrek) Thank you for your support!…

In the 16th century, Dutch Calvinists made the Netherlands a very inhospitable place for Catholics. Not only were churches, altars, and statues attacked, but 19 Franciscans and other Catholic priests were tortured & murdered for holding firm in their belief in the Real Presence. In this episode, Scott treks thru their story, and the background for …

There are a lot of items involved in the celebration of a Catholic liturgy, and each of them has a name and a history. In this gold-plated episode, Scott and Kevin provide a rundown of the chalices, patens, and things you may not even know the name for. To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (KevinSchmiesing@CatholicHist…

Is returning the Jews to the Holy Land and rebuilding the temple a divine mandate for Christians, or is it working against the will of God? I can’t answer that question. But I can take a historical look into the 4th century when the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate set out to rebuild the temple, and the divine intervention which followed that ende…

Despite its humble beginning, Mission San Antonio de Valero was the nucleus of one of Texas’s largest cities and would become one of the nation’s most famous battlegrounds. Kevin traces the tumultuous history of the Alamo. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 23, Texas) To help Catholic History Trek, please consider donating via PayPal (Kevin Schm…

Attributed to a couple men named Bernard, but written by neither, Scott looks at the history of the Memorare prayer. (“Catholic Prayers” series, no. 13, Memorare)

In Episode 132 Scott and Kevin trekked thru the history of priestly vestments. In this episode they follow up with a historical tour of clerical clothing - cassocks, collars, and everything else in your comprehensive guide to clerical clothing.

Even after Constantine's victory at Milvian Bridge, the Roman Empire was not free of Christian persecutions. Seven years later, a persecution in the eastern half of the empire would create the 40 martyrs of Sebaste. On this episode, Scott treks thru their fate, their attempt to keep their number at 40, and Rome’s famous Lightning Legion. ("Martyrs"…

The “new” Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston dates to the 1870s. President John Adams was among the benefactors who enabled the construction of its predecessor, the city's first Catholic church. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 22, Massachusetts)

Was there a time when eating horse meat merited a penance comparable to committing murder? Find out in this episode, as Scott treks thru the history of the Catholic Church and her ban on consuming horses.

The Catholic Church owns a lot of property. How did that happen? Who actually owns the property? Can laypeople control Church property? Scott and Kevin answer these questions—and a lot of others you didn’t know you had—as they explore the complicated and contentious history of Church property.

Death is not a comfortable topic for many but is a reality for all. In this episode Scott looks at the history of the Ars Moriendi, a popular Medieval text written to prepare one to die well.

Jesuit missionaries founded St. Mary’s Mission in the Bitterroot Valley, the first church in what would become the state of Montana. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 21, Montana)

Throughout the 19th century, and into the early 20th century, a popular temperance movement swept across America and Western Europe which sought to end the consumption of alcohol. In America, this movement peaked with the passage of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. In this episode Scott cove…

Liturgical vestments are the distinctive articles of clothing worn by the Catholic clergy - primarily at the holy sacrifice of the mass. In this episode, Kevin and Scott take a look look at the purpose and history of each of these liturgical vestments.

According to the Christmas carol, “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen.” But who was Wenceslaus, and what is the feast of Stephen? Scott treks thru the history of these two Catholic saints, and the carol that connects them.

William Gaston, the composer of North Carolina’s anthem, “The Old North State,” was also instrumental in building the state’s first Catholic church, St. Paul’s in New Bern. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 20, North Carolina)

In the era of Vikings, King Olaf is said to have gone from a raider and pillager, to champion of Christianity and worker of miracles. Along the way, Scott treks thru the Heimskringla and the possible origin of the nursery rhyme, "London Bridge Is Falling Down".

Kevin and Scott describe a dozen historic practices that have, to one degree or another, been forgotten in much of the Catholic world. Join them in rediscovering the holy uses of chalk, salt, and tying knots.

Scott looks at the military leaders specially recognized by the popes as “Champions of Christ” for their victories over the enemies of the Church. These 4 men boldly held to both their God and their guns

The parish of St. Peter in Mendota Heights has two church buildings, and the older is known as “The Historic Church” for good reason. Among its nineteenth-century pastors was Auguste Ravoux, who was deeply involved in one of the largest executions in American history. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 19, Minnesota)…

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom this podcast commits me here? Scott explores the history of this popular Catholic prayer which seeks the aid and protection of one’s guardian angel. ("Catholic Prayers" series, no. 12, Angel of God)

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln is commonly thought to be the result of a plot hatched by Confederate sympathizers upset by the outcome of the Civil War. But some Americans also detected a religious dimension: a sinister conspiracy orchestrated by the Catholic Church. Were Catholics involved in Lincoln’s death? Kevin and Scott investigate.…

Scott covers the history of the Knights Templar – their rise, their fall, and their connection to the Jedi from Star Wars.

An Italian Jesuit founded the San Xavier del Bac Mission near what is now Tucson in 1692. The mission’s charming adobe church still serves the area’s Catholics, including those of the Tohono O’odham Nation on whose land the mission stands. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 18, Arizona)

Scott and his wife talk about the history of Catholic home schooling in America. At the end of the episode, we get to hear from some home school students at the Red Barn co-op in west central Ohio.

Kevin and Scott tackle the twelve (or thirteen...) monumental figures at the genesis of Church history, the men who put the “apostle” in “apostolic.” They sort out the Simons, Jameses, and Judes, outlining what we know from Scripture and peering into apocryphal accounts of their post-Pentecostal peregrinations.…

In the 1860’s Pope Pius IX acquired nearly 16,000 of the best military firearms of their day – the Remington rolling block rifle. In this episode Scott treks thru the history of these firearms, the Catholics who made them, and why the pope wanted them.

Still standing in the heart of historic Charleston, St. Mary of the Annunciation Church was the birthplace of Catholicism in the Carolinas. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 17, South Carolina)

Scott covers the historical differences between Heretics, Pagans, Schismatics, and other non-Catholics.

Exploding torture wheels. Flying friars. Angelic interventions. Scott and Kevin travel across twenty centuries of Church history to collect and assess some of the most spectacular stories associated with the saints. (This episode has been republished to edit some audio issues that arose during the creation of the MP3 file)…

What the Hell? In this episode Scott explores the history of Hell.

Hawaii may be the last of the fifty states, but its cathedral is one of the nation’s oldest. Kevin dives into the rich Catholic history of the Aloha state. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 16, Hawaii)

Not sure what the difference is between the biretta, boat, chalice, ciborium, corporal, cruet, pall, paten or purificator? Ask an altar boy. For centuries, well-trained altar boys have assisted the priest in celebrating the sacrifice of the holy mass. In this episode Scott treks thru the history of these young men, and their duties.…

Where did the Blessed Virgin Mary’s life on earth come to an end? Scott and Kevin examine the historical cases for the major contenders, finding testimony in the lives and writings of the apostle John, the Greek theologian pseudo-Dionysius, and the German mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich.

How did the number 40 become a Catholic devotional practice known as the 40 Hours Devotion (when the Eucharist is exposed for adoration over a period of 40 consecutive hours), and why did Catholic priests in Philadelphia oppose implementing this devotion at their parishes? Find out in this episode of Catholic History Trek, which will cover 40 hours…

Another New England state, another pair of “cradles.” As with Maine, Kevin finds in Vermont two Catholic churches whose stories are entwined with the early history of the state: the Chapel of St. Anne on La Motte Island; and the Church of St. Mary in Burlington. (“Cradles of Catholicism” series, no. 15, Vermont)…