Champion of the Church

Meet the fierce -- kindhearted -- defender of the Faith who went from being a small-town, horse-riding pastor . . . to become one of the most influential prelates in the history of the United States. Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1875, John Noll was raised in a time when Catholic Americans were considered suspect if not actual second-class citizens. Ordained in 1898, Father John Noll began his priesthood in an era when basic Catholic teachings were barely known by many members of the Church, and were often ridiculed and misrepresented by non-members. Helping both learn the truths of the Faith shaped his ministry . . . and the Catholic Church in the United States. Read how he: Stood toe-to-toe against anti-Catholic preachers at tent meetings and worked to keep the Ku Klux Klan from gaining influence in his town Penned a series of religious education pamphlets for his parishioners which led to his founding Our Sunday Visitor, one of the largest Catholic publishing houses in the