Friday, June 19, 2026
Feast of Saint Romuald
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Next month we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. While Catholics were very few in number in North America back then, they did have a presence. In this sixth presentation we now look to the life of Father John Carroll and his leadership in the colonial struggle and the small Catholic Church in the new United States.
Talk #6: Father John Carroll
John was born at Upper Marlborough in Maryland in 1735, two years before his cousin Charles. Educated by Jesuits until he was 13, he and his cousin were sent to Saint Omer College in France. In 1753, John joined the Jesuits and was ordained in Belgium in 1761 where he stayed and taught. When Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuits in 1773, Father John returned to his family home from which he ministered as a secular priest as best he could along with the other former Jesuits currently living in the American colonies.
Father Carroll became more involved with the independence movement when the Continental Congress on February 15, 1776, authorized a mission to Canada to convince their northern neighbors to join them in opposition to Britain and become the fourteenth colony. Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll of Carrollton were appointed to this mission. Charles asked that his cousin, Father John, also be appointed since he might be able to convince the Bishop of Quebec, Jean-Olivier Briand, to bring the Quebec Catholics to the American side. Father Carroll feared mixing religion with politics and also felt that the Americans should be content with Canadian neutrality if that could be attained. He also believed that Canada did not have the same motives for redress and, as a matter of justice, had not exhausted the petition process as their southern neighbors seemed to have done.
The First Continental Congress on October 21, 1774, had addressed a letter to the people of Great Britain regarding Quebec: “Nor can we suppress our astonishment that a British Parliament should ever consent to establish in that country a religion that has deluged your island with blood, and dispersed impiety, bigotry, persecution, murder and rebellion through every part of the world.” Five days later, the congress wrote to the people of Canada: “We are too well acquainted with the liberality of sentiment distinguishing your nation, to imagine that any difference of religion will prejudice you against a heart amity with us.” Clearly, the Americans knew how to speak out of both sides of their mouth. The French Catholics to their north would find themselves unable to trust the colonists.
Nonetheless, Father Carroll joined the band as they left New York on April 2, 1776. They carried documents to Montreal promising religious liberty and the rights of conscience. On April 29, they arrived at the city which was being occupied by General Benedict Arnold and the patriots, who were turning the inhabitants against themselves by their confiscation of goods to support the military effort. Bishop Briand, in favor of British rule, warned his clergy not to listen to nor harbor Father Carroll.
Sensing failure and with the British destruction of the American attempt on Quebec City, Father Carroll and Mr. Franklin left Montreal together on May 11. Franklin wrote from New York at the end of the journey: “I find I grow more feeble, and think I could hardly have got along so far but for Mr. [Fr.] Carroll’s friendly assistance and tender care of me.” Mr. Chase and Mr. Carroll left later, reporting to the Congress on June 11, 1776, about their ill-fated trip.
We shall follow Father Carroll’s subsequent career next week.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing
P.S. Below is a video version of the above talk. Please feel free to share with family and friends. Thank you.