Isaac Thomas Hecker (1819–88) was an American Catholic priest, missionary, and founder of the Paulist Fathers, a religious society dedicated to evangelization. His work shaped Catholicism in America, emphasizing its compatibility with democratic ideals.
Born in New York City, Hecker worked in his family’s bakery before pursuing philosophy and theology. Influenced by Transcendentalists like Orestes Brownson, he converted to Catholicism (1844) and joined the Redemptorist order (1845,) becoming a priest (1849.)
In 1858, Hecker founded the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (Paulist Fathers) with Pope Pius IX’s blessing, focusing on preaching, public lectures, and publishing to spread Catholic teachings.
His works include Questions of the Soul (1855) on spiritual inquiry, Aspirations of Nature (1857) on faith and human nature, and The Church and the Age (1887) on Catholicism in modern society. He also founded The Catholic World (1865,) a journal promoting Catholic thought.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Isaac Hecker
Religion is the answer to that cry of reason which nothing can silence; that aspiration of the soul which no created thing can meet; of that want of the heart which all creation cannot supply.
—Isaac Hecker
Topics: Religion
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