Call Number:

MC 56

Repository:

Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center

Extent:

0.2 linear feet (; one small box)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], The American Catholic Historical Researches Vol. 15 Papers (MC 56), Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center.

Date:

ca. 1810-1898

Creator:

Griffin, Martin Ignatius Joseph, 1842–1911

Form:

Clippings, Correspondence, Letters, Research notes, and Telegrams

Abstract:

Started in 1884, the Historical Researches in Western Pennsylvania—Principally Catholic was a quarterly magazine that facilitated the gathering of information--documents, comments, correspondence, etc.--that helped document the activities and history of the Church and Catholics in America for future scholars, historians, and Catholics interested in American Catholicism. By 1886, the quarterly magazine was renamed to American Catholic Historical Researches and Martin I. J. Griffin became both the editor and publisher. The purpose of the quarterly magazine remained the same under the direction of Griffin. Materials in The American Catholic Historical Researches Vol. 15 Papers, ca. 1810-1895, were most likely compiled by Martin I. J. Griffin and specifically consists of papers that document Reverend Samuel Cooper's activities before and after he became a Christian convert. It specifically focuses on his altruism after his religious conversion. The collection was mostlikely used for the publication of the Toothless Priest, Rev. Samuel Sutherland Cooper, The Founder of Mother Seton's Institution published in the 1898 American Catholic Historical Researches Volume 15. Materials in this collection comprise of newsclippings, correspondence, a telegram, and various research materials.

In July 1884, the Right Reverend A.A. Lambing, A.M., of Wilkinsburg, PA began to edit and publish a quarterly magazine entitled “Historical Researches in Western Pennsylvania—Principally Catholic”. The magazine was born out of the desire to not only collect and preserve past and present records of Catholic history in this geographic region of America, but to also document it for posterity. The Historical Researches provided a central point for compiling a detailed history of the multiple facets in the Catholic community. Not only would the magazine serve as a reminder of the rich history of Catholics in America, but the magazine also served as a suitable form of preservation so future historians, scholars, and Catholics can utilize.

By 1886, the magazine was transferred to Martin I. J. Griffin who became the publisher and editor. In addition, the name of the quarterly also changed to American Catholic Historical Researches. Griffin was a prominent American Catholic historian, secretary to the American Catholic Historical Society, and founder of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. Even though the quarterly was transferred to Griffin, the purpose of the Historical Researches continued as it was under the direction of Reverend Lambing—the interest in the collection and publication of material relating to the Church in America. The quarterly continued for a total of twenty nine volumes which ended in July of 1912.

Samuel Cooper was born in 1769. He was a very wealthy shipping merchant. He was converted to the Catholic Faith and entered into the Sulpitian Seminary in 1808. He met Mother Seton there and assisted her financially in the work she was doing. Cooper was not in a rush to become a priest since it took nearly ten years before he was ordained in 1818. After he was ordained he worked with the community at Emmitsburg, and after this he was assigned to Augusta, Georgia where he served as priest at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity from 1819-1821. He returned to Philadelphia a few years later and assisted Bishop Conwell during his controversy with Reverend Hogan. He went to the Holy Land and then he went to France, where he died in Bordeaux on December 28, 1843.

The Reverend Samuel Cooper Papers comprise of draft materials (both typed and handwritten) compiled for the 1898 publication of the Toothless Priest, Reverend Samuel Sutherland Cooper, The Founder of Mother Seton’s Institution. The publication was eventually published in the 1898 American Catholic Historical Researches Vol. 15, pages 17-32.

The American Catholic Historical Researches Vol. 15 Papers, ca. 1810-1898, comprise of research materials (both typed and handwritten) compiled for the 1898 publication of the Toothless Priest, Reverend Samuel Sutherland Cooper, The Founder of Mother Seton’s Institution. The materials contain details on Samueul Sutherland Cooper's activities throughout the 19th century which include the times before he converted to Catholism, his journey to priesthood, and his pious activities after being ordained. A majority of the materials are undated, but were most likely compiled in the late 19th century. This small but useful collection includes correspondence, memos, a telegram, and newsclippings.

The American Catholic Historical Researches Vol. 15 Papers is arranged into one series.

Series I. Reverend Samuel Cooper Papers - The Toothless Priest

In order to promote the preservation of the Reverend Samuel Cooper Papers, the collection was processed at the item-level. Upon further review, Griffin compiled the papers in sequential order by numbering the papers on the top right corner for his personal reference--pages 1-14 which are found in folders 1-14. Folders 15, 16, and 17 contain materials that provide the closing passages to the essay Toothless Priest, Rev. Samuel Sutherland Cooper, the Founder of of Mother Seton's Institution, which can be found in the 1898 American Catholic Historical Researches Vol. 15.

Titles to the folders were chosen by the topic(s) discussed in the papers. Titles for folders 1-14 also contain the page numbers that correlates with what Griffin assigned.