Fr. Nerinckx was a heroic missionary priest who brought many souls to God “Do not forsake Providence and He will never forsake you!” The churches founded by Fr. Nerinckx in Kentucky are as follows: Holy Mary’s, Calvary St. Vincent de Paul, New Haven St. Romuald, Hardinsburg St. Paul, Big Clifty St. Ignatius, White Mills St. Clare’s, Colesburg St. Charles, St. Mary’s St. Bernard, Clementsville St. Patrick’s, Mercer County St. Augustine, Lebanon St. Augustine, Grayson St. Anthony, Axtel And the renewed Holy Cross church which he helped build with his own hand on the site of the first Catholic church ever built in Kentucky, a log chapel constructed by the pioneers in 1792 A passage from Martin John Spalding’s Sketches of the Early Catholic Missions of Kentucky : “His labours in the arduous field upon which he had now entered were as great as their fruit was abundant. With his whole soul, he devoted himself to the work of the ministry. He even seemed to court labours and sufferings for their own sake. Of a powerful frame, and of herculean constitution, he never spared himself. His rest was brief, and his food was generally of the coarsest kind. He generally arose several hours before day, which hours he devoted to prayer and study. In fact, he seemed to be always engaged in mental prayer, no matter how numerous or distracting were his employments. “He appeared to live solely for God, and for his neighbour. Performing his duty was his daily bread. And though old age was fast creeping over him, yet he relaxed in nothing his exhausting labours. His soul was still fresh and vigorous; and God so preserved his health, that, even at the age of sixty, he seemed gifted with all the strength and vigour of youth. “He seldom missed offering up the Holy Sacrifice daily, no matter what had been his previous fatigues or indisposition. Often was he known to ride twenty-five or thirty miles fasting, in order to be able to say Mass. His missionary labours would be almost incredible, were they not still so well remembered by almost all the older Catholics of Kentucky. “His courage was unequalled: he feared no difficulties, and was appalled by no dangers. Through rain and storms; through snows and ice; over roads rendered almost impassable by the mud; over streams swollen by the rains, or frozen by the cold; by day and by night, in winter and in summer; he might be seen traversing all parts of Kentucky in the discharge of his laborious duties. Far from shunning, he seemed even to seek after hardships and dangers. “He crossed wilderness districts, swam rivers, slept in the woods among the wild beasts; and while undergoing all this, he was in the habit of fasting, and of voluntarily mortifying himself in many other ways. His courage and vigour seemed to increase with the labours and privations he had to endure. As his courage, so neither did his cheerfulness, ever abandon him. He seldom laughed, or even smiled; but there was withal an air of contentment and cheerfulness about him which greatly qualified the natural austerity of his countenance and manners. He could, like the great Apostle, make himself “all to all, to gain all to Christ.” ” An account of Father Charles Nerinckx’s last days written by Bishop Flaget: “After the arrival of [Father] Nerinckx at the residence of the Sisters, in Missouri, he wrote to me a most affecting letter, describing the good they had accomplished in that diocese, and the hopes which he entertained of their being one day useful to the Indians. Thence he went to visit an establishment of Flemish Jesuits, which is pretty numerous, and about ninety miles distant from the monastery. After spending some days of edifying fervor in the midst of those holy and beloved countrymen of his, he set out on his return to the monastery, and thence intended coming to Kentucky. Near St. Louis, he had an interview with an Indian chief, who promised to send him a great number of the young females of his tribe, to be educated by the Sisters. He made haste to carry this news to the monastery, and his heart burned within him, while his imagination pictured to itself the good prospect, which lay open to his hopes. “On his road, however, was a path to a settlement of eight or ten Catholic families, who had not seen a priest during more than two years. Desirous of doing all the good in his power, he assembled them, heard their confessions, gave them instructions, and celebrated for them the holy sacrifice of the mass. He was thus occupied, from a little after daybreak, until towards three o’clock in the evening. Seeing the good dispositions of those Catholics, he proposed to them to build a church, in order to encourage priests to come to them; a subscription was immediately opened by those present; out of his own small means he gave ten dollars; and signatures for over nine hundred dollars were instantly affixed to the sheet. “After all this exertion, in such broiling weather, he felt feverish symptoms. These continued the next day, but apparently much diminished. He wished to go to St. Genevieve, which was only fifteen or eighteen miles distant; and though the journey was short, still the exertion and the burning sun greatly increased the fever. The pastor of St. Genevieve (M. Dahman) received him with great kindness and affection. He was obliged to betake himself immediately to bed; the physicians came promptly, and paid him every attention; but to no purpose. “[Father] Nerinckx was, I trust, in the eye of God, ripe for heaven; and his Lord saw that it was time to bestow upon his faithful servant the recompense of his labors. He had the use of his reason to the last, and edified all who saw him by his piety and patience. On the ninth day of his sickness, about nine in the morning, he received the holy viaticum and extreme unction, after having made his confession; and about five in the evening, he breathed out his pure soul to return to its Creator, with entire resignation, and without a struggle.” Martin John Spalding concludes: “Fr. Nerinckx had reached his 63rd year; and, during the last forty years of his life, he had laboured for the glory of God and the good of his neighbour, with a constancy, an activity, and a zeal, seldom equalled, never, perhaps, surpassed. His whole life had been one continued voluntary martyrdom and holocaust. He contemned this world, and panted only for heaven; but he ardently wished to go to paradise with a numerous escort of souls, whom he had been instrumental in rescuing from perdition, and leading to salvation. This thought seemed to engross his whole mind and soul: and his life was but a carrying of it out. That God, whom he served so long and so faithfully, has no doubt long since crowned these lofty aspirations of His humble and heroic servant.” A passage from The Centenary of Catholicity in Kentucky , 1884: “The announcement of his death in Kentucky was the occasion of general sorrow among Catholics. He was personally known by the greater number of these, and where that was not the case, there were none who had not knowledge of his reputation for sanctity. The fact of his death was announced from the pulpit of the cathedral, Bardstown, by Bishop Flaget himself, and as he told the story of his life and death, of the services he had rendered to the diocese, and of the christian virtues that ennobled his character, his eyes overflowed and the tones of his voice were indicative of deep anguish. The cathedral congregation had seen less, possibly, of Father Nerinckx than any other in the State; but a stranger in their presence that day would have thought that the dead priest had been bound to them by long-established pastoral ties. Among the people of his own congregations there was felt much keener sorrow, but to this was added a sentiment that was akin to triumph. They had been served by a saint! — thus they reasoned — and they had now an intercessor in heaven who would pity them because they had been his children.” A section from Father Nerinckx’s will: “[Have] Zeal for souls — your own and that of so many desolate orphans and scholars — burning zeal of Jesus and Mary! Gain souls, hunt souls, catch souls, court souls, draw souls, pull souls, carry souls, deliver souls, shelter souls, buy souls! . . . Souls! Souls! and nothing but souls, for the love of Jesus, the owner of all souls! “…The writer’s wish is here set down on paper; may he hear it accomplished on earth, and may he see it rewarded in the company of the Friends of Mary in heaven! Amen! Amen!!” Prayer for God’s help: “O Jesus, Who didst inspire Thy servant, Charles Nerinckx, with boundless zeal for the salvation of souls, and who didst fill him with a compassionate love for Thee and Thy Blessed Mother, deign to make known to Thy Church that his labors were acceptable to Thee, and through the merits of Thy passion and death, and the intercession of Thy Mother, mercifully grant the favor which we now beg of Thee …(insert prayer intention)… Amen.” A passage from 1880s’ The Life of Charles Nerinckx  by Bishop Camillus Maes of Covington: “On the night of Father Nerinckx’ death, a very remarkable incident had taken place at the Convent of Bethlehem: “Sisters Benedicta Fenwick and Mechtildis Hayden were making the hour’s adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, when the latter, hastily rising off her knees, went to Sister Benedicta and said to her in a low voice, ‘Father Nerinckx is dead, I know he is. He is now in the presence of the Blessed Virgin whom he so tenderly loved on earth; and, in a short time, I shall follow.’​ Sister Mechtildis had been suffering for a long time from a cancer in the head, and was so very sick with consumption that she had to remain in bed the next day. On the evening of that day, August 13th, 1824, and whilst the corpse was being brought from Ste. Genevieve, a similar scene, as strongly savoring of the supernatural, and the truth of which is vouched for by Sister Eulalia Kelly, who was an eye-witness to the fact, occurred toward nine o’clock, P.M. Sister Mechtildis got out of bed and began running about the house, singing: ‘Praises to the Lord! Our dear Father Nerinckx is in heaven! Alleluia!’ Thinking that her suffering had made the poor sister light in the head, her companions did all they could to quiet her; but to all their entreaties she only answered; ‘Father Nerinckx is in heaven!’ About a quarter of an hour later, the messenger from Ste. Genevieve actually arrived, and brought them the first news of the death of their founder, adding that the funeral procession was on its way to Bethlehem, and would arrive there some time during the night.” An inscriptions on his grave at Loretto: ‘In memory of Rev. Charles Nerinckx, a native of Flanders, who died Aug’t. 12th, 1824, in Missouri. His remains were translated to Kentucky in 1833, by brother Charles Gilbert, at the request of the Loretto Society, and interred at this place by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Flaget, and the Rev. G. I. Chabrat, Superior of the Society.’ May God bless the Kentucky Holy Land well into the future and may we never forget the sacrifices and love of our founding father and apostle On August 12th, 2024 At 5–5:30pm, a great prayer rally will be held at the Sisters of Loretto cemetery, the home of Fr. Nerinckx’s grave. After, at 6:30pm, all are invited to travel the 10 minute drive to the Abbey of Gethsemani, where upon Calvary Hill, the giant hill with the cross, we will have a Great Novena session . On-fire Catholic leaders will give a talk about how we, as a community united in prayer, can make the next 9 years a great novena leading up to the 2,000th anniversary of the Catholic Church (2033). Can you believe we live at a time such as this? You do not want to miss this historic occasion.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1) It was the trick of the demons to make men believe in gods. The gods of the Pagans were evil — false idols. “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). Though man believes he doesn’t believe in gods, the Fallen still seek to deceive. They still yearn for our misplaced worship. And they just walked out of a theatre showing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Are alien sightings just demonic possessions? “The demons of the air together with the Antichrist will perform great wonders on earth and in the atmosphere, and men will become more and more perverted. God will take care of His faithful servants and men of goodwill. The Gospel will be preached everywhere, and all peoples of all nations will get to know the truth.” (Secret of Our Lady of La Salette to Melanie [1879 Version]) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — The Earth will be covered in darkness, and Hell will be loosed on Earth. The thunder and lightning will cause those who have no faith or trust in my Power, to die of fear. During these three days of terrifying darkness, no windows must be opened, because no one will be able to see the earth and the terrible color it will have in those days of punishment without dying at once…” (Blessed Anna Maria Taigi’s 1880 journal, a vision of the Three Days of Darkness) Both of these prophecies of the end time predict, and have an eerie focus, that the sky will be a major battleground in the last days. The Blessed Anna Maria Taigi says no windows must be opened when the earth becomes dark, for to look outside, into the sky, will cause death at once. Both of these excerpts come from writings from the 19th century. Though there are a few purported sightings of unidentified flying objects before the invention of the airplane, by far, by large, the UFO phenomenon didn’t start until the 20th century. In 1959, the famous psychologist Carl Jung wrote Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Sky. Instead of trying to account for UFOs as a literal reality, he opted to see them instead as a psychic aspect, a fantasy of the unconscious. “If the round shining objects that appear in the sky be regarded as visions, we can hardly avoid interpreting them as archetypal images. They would then be involuntary, automatic projections based on instinct, and as little as any other psychic manifestations or symptoms can they be dismissed as meaningless and merely fortuitous,’ Jung wrote. There is no doubt that man’s sci-fi imagination, created by books and radio shows like The War of the Worlds, and films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, lead to this newfound superstition. One must also not underestimate the vast changes to society by the rapid technological progress at the time. The Second World War was a war of surprises. The term foo-fighter was created by pilots to describe the unknown aircraft they were seeing. Doctor Edgar Vinacke was assigned by the U.S. Navy to investigate the effects of a pilot’s vertigo. He writes in The Concept of Aviator’s “Vertigo”: “They are largely dependent upon their own experience, which must supplement and interpret the traditions about “Vertigo” which are passed on to them. When a concept thus grows out of anecdotes cemented together with practical necessity, it is bound to acquire elements of mystery. So far as “vertigo” is concerned, no one really knows more than a small part of the facts, but a great deal of the peril. Since aviators are not skilled observers of human behavior, they usually have only the vaguest understanding of their own feelings. Like other naive persons, therefore, they have simply adopted a term to cover a multitude of otherwise inexplicable events.” The Roswell Incident occurred on July 8th, 1947. The Air Force reported that they captured a “flying saucer”, which they retrieved after a farmer reported a crash on his ranch. Only a couple of hours later, the Army then announced that it was merely a weather balloon. The public interest in this case soon withered away. That was until 1978. That was the year Jesse Marcel, an officer who recovered the debris on the ranch, told a journalist that the weather balloon was a cover-up. Three years earlier, Orthodox monk, Seraphim Rose published Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. It is a masterpiece that engages with the rapidly changing religious aspect of man. In it, Rose tackles the New Age, Hinduism, the Charismatic movement, and the inevitability of Judgement Day. He also devotes a chapter to UFOs. “UFOs are but the newest of the mediumistic techniques by which the devil gains initiates into his occult realm. They are a terrible sign that man has become susceptible to demonic influence as never before in the Christian era. In the 19th century it was usually necessary to seek out dark seance rooms in order to enter into contact with demons, but now one need only look into the sky (usually at night, it is true). Mankind has lost what remained of basic Christian understanding up to now, and now passively places itself at the disposal of whatever “powers” may descend from the sky.” Rose outlines modern man’s science fiction imagination. “The center of the science-fiction universe (in place of the absent God) is man — not usually man as he is now, but man as he will “become” in the future, in accordance with the modern mythology of evolution.” It is ironic that Humanism, which began circa the time of the Renaissance in the 1300s, finds its final end in looking, projecting beyond the human. Humanists search for the extraterrestrial, in their gnostic hope that they will reveal secret knowledge, or that they will help man escape his mortality and suffering. Aliens are nearly always described as the final end of evolution: a god. “Among the characteristics of the “highly-evolved” creatures of the future are: communication by mental telepathy, ability to fly, materialize and dematerialize, transform the appearances of things or create illusionary scenes and creatures by “pure thought,” travel at speeds far beyond any modern technology, to take possession of the bodies of earthmen; and the expounding of a “spiritual” philosophy which is “beyond all religions” and holds promise of a state where “advanced intelligences” will no longer be dependent on matter. All these are the standard practices and claims of sorcerers and demons. A recent history of science fiction notes that “a persistent aspect of the vision of science fiction is the desire to transcend normal experience.” Let us look at a type of UFO report — the alien abduction. “There have been a number of cases, seriously reported by seemingly reliable people, of “abductions” by UFO occupants, usually for purposes of “testing.” Almost all evidence of these cases (if we exclude “contactees”) has been obtained by regressive hypnosis; the experience is so traumatic to the witnesses that the conscious mind does not remember it, and it is only some time later that such people agree to be hypnotized in order to explain some mysterious “time loss” in connection with their “Close Encounter” experience — the first part of which they do remember.” As reported by exorcists, memory loss, occurring during the affliction., is a key aspect of demonic possession. One loses control of the memory. In a research paper titled “Beyond dissociative disorders: A qualitative study of Polish catholic women reporting demonic possession”, memory loss is one of the most common experiences during a possession. “High absorption,” it says, “in inner experiences and trance-like states could also lead to memory problems. In stressful situations some participants stopped paying attention to what was happening around them and concentrated on bodily sensations or feelings.” “Some or many of the experiences, it may be, are the result of hoaxes or hallucinations; but it is simply impossible to dismiss all of the many thousands of UFO reports in this way. A great number of modern mediums and their spiritistic phenomena are also fraudulent; but mediumistic spiritism itself, when it is genuine, undeniably produces real “paranormal” phenomena under the action of demons. UFO phenomena, having the same source, are no less real.” (…) “It is a sign of the spiritual crisis of today that modern men, for all their proud “enlightenment” and “wisdom,” are becoming once more [Rose previously recounted stories of saints seemingly visited by UFOs] aware of such experiences — but no longer have the Christian framework with which to explain them. Contemporary UFO researchers, seeking for an explanation of phenomena which have become too noticeable to overlook any longer, have joined today’s psychic researchers in an attempt to formulate a “unified field theory” that will encompass psychic as well as physical phenomena. But such researchers only continue the approach of “enlightened” modern men and trust their scientific observations to give answers in a spiritual realm that cannot be approached “objectively” at all, but only with faith.” “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth …” (Revelation 20:7–8) “ … the “message” of the UFOs is: prepare for Antichrist; the “savior” of the apostate world is coming to rule it. Perhaps he himself will come in the air, in order to complete his impersonation of Christ (Matt. 24:30; Acts 1:11); perhaps only the “visitors from outer space” will land publicly in order to offer “cosmic” worship of their master; perhaps the “fire from heaven” (Apoc. 13:13) will be only a part of the great demonic spectacles of the last times. At any rate, the message for contemporary mankind is: expect deliverance, not from the Christian revelation and faith in an unseen God, but from vehicles in the sky.” Since the sky is a place for the devil’s deception, a place for his coming “miraces”, Seraphim Rose recounts a quote by Symeon the New Theologian: “the struggler of prayer should quite rarely look into the sky out of fear of the evil spirits in the air who cause many and various deceptions in the air.” “In earlier centuries Christians were very cautious about strange and new phenomena, knowing of the devil’s wiles; but after the modern age of “enlightenment” most people have become merely curious about such things and even pursue them, relegating the devil to a half-imaginary realm” Rose concludes, after accounting most of the alien phenomenon to demons, that “[the Christian] lives in a world that is clearly fallen, both the earth below and the stars above, all being equally far from the lost paradise for which he is striving. He is part of a suffering mankind all descended from the one Adam, the first man, and all alike in need of the redemption offered freely by the Son of God by His saving Sacrifice on the Cross. He knows that man is not to “evolve” into something “higher,” nor has he any reason to believe that there are “highly evolved” beings on other planets; but he knows well that there are indeed “advanced intelligences” in the universe besides himself: these are of two kinds, and he strives to live so as to dwell with those who serve God (the angels) and avoid contact with the others who have rejected God and strive in their envy and malice to draw man into their misfortune (the demons). He knows that man, out of self-love and weakness, is easily inclined to follow error and believe in “fairy tales” that promise contact with a “higher state” or “higher beings” without the struggle of Christian life — in fact, precisely as an escape from the struggle of Christian life. He distrusts his own ability to see through the deceptions of the demons, and therefore clings all the more firmly to the Scriptural and Patristic guidelines which the Church of Christ provides for his life.” Do not put it past the demons to decieve humanity in such a way as appealing to their fantasies. They once appealed to our ancestors in Greece. The 2nd century Christian Justin Martyr once wrote about the Greek gods in his First Apology: “For the truth shall be spoken; since of old these evil demons, effecting apparitions of themselves, both defiled women and corrupted boys, and showed such fearful sights to men, that those who did not use their reason in judging of the actions that were done, were struck with terror; and being carried away by fear, and not knowing that these were demons, they called them gods, and gave to each the name which each of the demons chose for himself. And when Socrates endeavoured, by true reason and examination, to bring these things to light, and deliver men from the demons, then the demons themselves, by means of men who rejoiced in iniquity, compassed his death, as an atheist and a profane person, on the charge that “he was introducing new divinities;” and in our case they display a similar activity. For not only among the Greeks did reason (Logos) prevail to condemn these things through Socrates, but also among the Barbarians were they condemned by Reason (or the Word, the Logos) Himself, who took shape, and became man, and was called Jesus Christ; and in obedience to Him, we not only deny that they who did such things as these are gods, but assert that they are wicked and impious demons, whose actions will not bear comparison with those even of men desirous of virtue. Justin also tells an amazing tale of the demons, who were unable to predict Christ, but nonetheless having some intuition about who He would be from hearing the prophets, attempted to put forward their own god, Bacchus, the god of the grape (wine), after hearing from Mosesthat the Messiah would wash “His robe in the blood of the grape.” Martyr also examines the other gods (demonic idols) by this measure. “But those who hand down the myths which the poets have made, adduce no proof to the youths who learn them; and we proceed to demonstrate that they have been uttered by the influence of the wicked demons, to deceive and lead astray the human race. For having heard it proclaimed through the prophets that the Christ was to come, and that the ungodly among men were to be punished by fire, they put forward many to be called sons of Jupiter, under the impression that they would be able to produce in men the idea that the things which were said with regard to Christ were mere marvellous tales, like the things which were said by the poets. And these things were said both among the Greeks and among all nations where they [the demons] heard the prophets foretelling that Christ would specially be believed in; but that in hearing what was said by the prophets they did not accurately understand it, but imitated what was said of our Christ, like men who are in error, we will make plain. The prophet Moses, then, Was, as we have already said, older than all writers; and by him, as we have also said before, it was thus predicted: “There shall not fail a prince from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is reserved; and He shall be the desire of the Gentiles, binding His foal to the vine, washing His robe in the blood of the grape.” The devils, accordingly, when they heard these prophetic words, said that Bacchus was the son of Jupiter, and gave out that he was the discoverer of the vine, and they number wine [or, the ass] among his mysteries; and they taught that, having been torn in pieces, he ascended into heaven. And because in the prophecy of Moses it had not been expressly intimated whether He who was to come was the Son of God, and whether He would, riding on the foal, remain on earth or ascend into heaven, and because the name of “foal” could mean either the foal of an ass or the foal of a horse, they, not knowing whether He who was foretold would bring the foal of an ass or of a horse as the sign of His coming, nor whether He was the Son of God, as we said above, or of man, gave out that Bellerophon, a man born of man, himself ascended to heaven on his horse Pegasus. And when they heard it said by the other prophet Isaiah, that He should be born of a virgin, and by His own means ascend into heaven, they pretended that Perseus was spoken of. And when they knew what was said, as has been cited above, in the prophecies written aforetime, “Strong as a giant to run his course,” they said that Hercules was strong, and had journeyed over the whole earth. And when, again, they learned that it had been foretold that He should heal every sickness, and raise the dead, they produced Aesculapius.” To conclude, prepare yourself for the end times. Your end-time could come today. Stay away from mortal sin. Stay in a state of grace. Pray for God’s mercy, so that you do not fall for the deception of demons. The end times will certainly see many “miracles.” “And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:22)

If you read about the history of the British Isles during the 17th and 18th century, you will inevitably come into contact with the Jacobites. These brave men were the followers of King Jacobus (James II) and sought many different things. In England, they sought the restoration of the Old Religion, the triumph of the rights of the crown over parliament, and the return of Merry England. In Scotland, they not only fought for the Old Religion and way of life, but for the preservation of the last royal family native to the British Isles in the face of foreign families who sought the crown. Finally, in Ireland, they fought to defend their religion from heretical sects and to preserve their culture and people from the foreign invaders that sought to erase it. The Jacobite movement is often thought to be only relegated to the British Isles, however there is a significant amount of evidence to suggest otherwise. What might be most surprising to many is the Jacobites' existence in America. After all, is America not the nation of the free anti-monarchicals? The Jacobite struggle extended to the lands these kingdoms had across the sea in America. The story of the American Jacobites has often been overlooked but it can be just as interesting as that of their British counterparts. Among many other examples, it shows the rich history of monarchy in this country, standing in complete defiance to the republican mythos prevalent today. One of the earliest examples of Jacobite influence in America was King James II’s appointment of a Catholic to become Governor of New York. Thomas Dongan served as New York’s 5th Colonial Governor from 1683 to 1688. A Devout Catholic, Dongan granted protections to American Catholics which led to the flourishing of Pre-Reformation English Catholic practices in his colony. Another famous Jacobite of this time was Edmund Andros, the Governor of New England. Firmly loyal to James II, he set out to make the New English Puritans submit to the crown by enforcing King James’ will on the colony, this led to centralization of the colonies as the Dominion of New England. These Jacobite governments in America lasted until the Protestant Revolution in 1688 when King James was usurped by William of Orange, the Protestant Stadtholder of the Netherlands. The only colonies that truly welcomed the revolution were the New England Colonies with their large Protestant populations, meanwhile colonies like New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Carolina silently disapproved, probably out of fear of retribution. Maryland however openly proclaimed support for King James, which lead to the first Jacobite uprising spilling into the American colonies. The American Catholic Jacobites were led by Benedict Calvert and Henry Darnall, while the Protestant Williamites were led by John Coode and Nehemiah Blakiston. Ultimately the Jacobites were defeated and the Catholics of Maryland had to live under a regime that did not reflect them. Jacobite activity in the American Colonies remained underground throughout the 1714 and 1719 uprisings led by the son of James II, King James III. It is worth noting that some Jacobites did play a role in Post Stuart America. For example, the Colony of Georgia was founded in 1732 by James Edward Oglethorpe. He and his family were of Jacobite sympathies and he was named in honor of King James II and his son. Jacobite activity would remain dormant in America until after the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. Led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Son of James III and Grandson of James II), it was launched against the Hanoverian Dynasty, who had inherited the British Throne in 1714 from William of Orange and his successors. Despite having the upper hand at the beginning, the uprising ultimately failed which led to many finding refuge abroad. This led to many Jacobites moving to America and settling in areas like New York and North Carolina. These Jacobites would go on to play a noticeable role in Colonial American Society. Many of them interestingly pledged loyalty to King George III, who they saw as a Defender of Catholicism and a Jacobite Sympathizer. However, there was a faction of the remaining Jacobites in America which had very different plans in mind, which would become apparent in the American Revolution. Many Tories, the Traditionalist faction in mainstream Anglosphere politics, in the Continental Congress pondered the idea of crowning Prince Charles Edward Stuart as King of America if the nation were to become independent. Something to remember is that the idea of a republic had not yet fully developed in the American conscience. Ever since the colonies were founded, the American people were seen as one of Crown’s most loyal subjects, even after the Hanoverian Succession. However some have noted that you could find a notable Jacobite sentiment, most especially amongst English Recusants in Maryland and Scottish Highlanders in the Carolinas respectively. You could find some Jacobites within the Continental Army, most prominently General Hugh Mercer. Mercer was a surgeon in Prince Charles’ Army who fled to America following the conclusion of the 1745 uprising. Even after the Revolutionary War there were many in what would become the Federalists who proposed making the United States a Kingdom, with many different candidates considered. A letter was sent to Prince Charles (Now King Charles III), who was in Rome, relaying the offer. He said he would accept the Crown of America if France and Spain promised to support him. A Coronation for King Charles in Philadelphia, New York, or Baltimore was a real possibility as Catholic Prelates from France, Spain, or the Papal States could have been brought over with the help of his brother Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart. Several intellectuals at the time also noted that an underlying reason for why Americans’ respect for the ruling Hanoverian family was because of the fact they were Germans who had no connection to the English speaking world. This is what Dr. Samuel Johnson was referring to when he told General James Oglethorpe (Former Governor and Founder of the Georgia Colony) that King George III had a 'want of inherent right'. Unfortunately for both the American Tories and King Charles, Spain and France were not fully involved in the War of Independence yet. It did not help that the Jacobite movement itself was not united, this is because of the previously mentioned fact that many Jacobites had sworn loyalty to King George III. As Dr. Samuel Johnson previously pointed out, King George did not want to be seen as a mere constitutional monarchy and wanted to overturn many of the reforms that were implemented after the 1688 Protestant Revolution. He also had a favorable view towards Catholics, unlike his two predecessors, and worked to bring them back into British Society. The willingness of former Jacobites to swear loyalty to King George was aided by the works of Bishop George Hay, the Vicar Apostolic of the Lowlands District in Scotland. Bishop Hay, a former member of Prince Charles’ army, wrote extensively about the flaws of the American and French Revolutions using Jacobite Ideology in favor of King George. As a result, coupled with the many amnesties King George implemented, many Jacobites went on to join in the armies loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution. One of these former Jacobites was the famed Allan Maclean, who defended Quebec City from the Revolutionaries in 1775. All of these different factors led to the American Jacobites/Tories being disunited, paving the way for the American Whigs’ ascendency in government that allowed them to declare independence as the United States of America. Despite these countless setbacks, a second attempt to invite King Charles was made in 1782. A lawyer from New York, two brothers from Pennsylvania, and a gentleman from Maryland all sailed across the Atlantic to Florence to offer King Charles the American Crown. He refused the offer as he knew it was too late to make any formal claim. After the American Revolution and the death of Charles III, most Jacobites had abandoned any attempts to restore the Stuarts and were incorporated into what we now know as the Federalist Party. The only remnants of interest in Jacobitism possibly existed within the American Clergy as Charles’ brother, Henry Benedict Stuart (Better known as King Henry IX or Cardinal York) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. There certainly was a relationship between the American Clergy and the King-Cardinal because of his Ecclesiastical Grants in America and his patronage and connections with the English and Scottish Seminaries in Rome (which is where American seminarians would go to study) where he was recognized as King of Great Britain. One could come to the rational conclusion that the American Clergy (like their English and Scottish brethren) naturally recognized him as King due to his Stuart lineage and Catholic faith. However whatever remaining interest that was left in Jacobitism in America completely disappeared after 1807 when King Henry/Cardinal York passed away. It has only existed as a niche idea in some very small Catholic circles. The followers of King Jacobus, especially on this side of the Atlantic, are long gone now. However, believe it or not, there are still ways we see their influence today. One notable example is the architectural works of famed architect and avowed American monarchist Ralph Adams Cram. His Neo Gothic style of buildings that could be found in countless cities and towns across the country are the physical expression of the Catholic and Monarchical America he dreamed of. A tiny glimpse of how different things could have been.

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Michael Snellen and Fr. Michael co-founded a revolutionary new idea. At the oldest monastery in America, the Abbey of Gethsemani, after a big promotional campaign in the local area and throughout the entire Archdiocese, a group of around 15 or so people gathered to listen to a monk talk. The speech wasn't long, but the discussion afterward shined a light on the monastic life. A group of this nature not only has the chance to rejuvenate the faith of those who attend, attract outsiders, be a place of unity for a town, it also is a good way to make people aware of the monastic life, and thus assist vocations. If you would like to learn how to start a revival of Western Monasticism at your local monastery or convent, this is the course for you!

< Proof of the Papacy Tool Pope St. Cornelius ​ “There was one voice from all, giving thanks to God; all were expressing the joy of their heart by tears, embracing them as if they had this day been set free from the penalty of the dungeon. And to quote their very own words —“We,” they say, “know that Cornelius is bishop of the most holy Catholic Church elected by Almighty God, and by Christ our Lord. We confess our error; we have suffered imposture; we were deceived by captious perfidy and loquacity. For although we seemed, as it were, to have held a kind of communion with a man who was a schismatic and a heretic, yet our mind was always sincere in the Church. For we are not ignorant that there is one God; that there is one Christ the Lord whom we have confessed, and one Holy Spirit; and that in the Catholic Church there ought to be one bishop.” (Cyprian’s 45 Epistle, including the letter of Pope St. Cornelius to St. Cyprian). Proof of the Papacy Tool

< Proof of the Papacy Tool Gelasius of Cyzicus Apostolic Lineage "Hosius himself, the famous Beacon of the Spaniards, held the place of Sylvester, bishop of great Rome, along with the Roman presbyters Vito and Vincent, as they held council with the many [bishops]." (Historia Concilii Nicaeni, bk. II, c. v (PG 85:1229).” Proof of the Papacy Tool

< Back 19. The Council of Trent, 1545-63 A.D. The Council of Trent, held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. The Council issued key statements and clarifications of the Church's doctrine and teachings, including scripture, the biblical canon, sacred tradition, original sin, justification, salvation, the sacraments, the Mass, and the veneration of saints and also issued condemnations of what it defined to be heresies committed by proponents of Protestantism. The Council met for twenty-five sessions between 13 December 1545 and 4 December 1563. Pope Paul III, who convoked the Council, oversaw the first eight sessions (1545–47), while the twelfth to sixteenth sessions (1551–52) were overseen by Pope Julius III and the seventeenth to twenty-fifth sessions (1562–63) by Pope Pius IV. More than three hundred years passed until the next ecumenical council, the First Vatican Council, was convened in 1869. Read the Documents of the Council Source: Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Trent