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 Isaac
Thomas Hecker was born
in New York City on
December 18, 1819, the
third son and youngest
child of John and
Caroline (Freund) Hecker.
Ordained a Redemptorist
priest in 1849, he
founded the Missionary
Society of St. Paul the
Apostle in New York on
July 7, 1858. The
society was established
to evangelize both
believers and
non-believers in order
to convert North America
to the Roman Catholic
Church. Father Hecker
sought to evangelize
Americans using the
popular means of his
day, primarily
preaching, the public
lecture circuit and the
printing press. He
founded the monthly
publication, "The
Catholic World," in
1865.
Father Hecker's
spirituality centered on
the action of the Holy
Spirit upon the soul and
the need to remain
attentive to the
prompting of the Spirit
in the great and small
moments of life. Under
the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, Father Hecker
labored to establish a
dialogue between faith
and culture, which he
believed would lead to
an American Catholicism
whose vitality and
optimism would transform
the world.
In the latter years of
his life, Father Hecker
suffered suffered with
dark nights of the soul
that varied
in intensity; this was
combined with the
physical problems of a
weak heart and leukemia. While emotionally and
physically overcome at
moments, Father Hecker
remained faithful
through his sure belief
in the Holy Spirit.
"God is now visiting me
with the profoundest
desolation of spirit.
Yet I never knew that
God would permit me to
come so near to Him and
love Him as I have,"
Father Hecker wrote.
On December 22, 1888, as
the Paulist community
gathered around his bed
in prayer, Father Hecker
raised his hand, making
the Sign of the Cross in
blessing, and died.
Want to know Father
Hecker better?
Click here for a full
biography.
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