Roads to Rome: Maria Longworth Storer (1849-1932)

Last updated on: November 3, 2010 at 5:24 am by Pat McNamara

Roads to Rome: Maria Longworth Storer (1849-1932) 2010-11-03T05:24:00-06:00 Pat McNamara

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Maria Longworth Storer (1849-1932) came from a wealthy family in Cincinnati. In 1871 she founded the city’s still-running May Festival. A skilled pottery painter, she founded the famous Rookwood Pottery in 1880. Her husband Bellamy Storer was a Congressman from Ohio and served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium and Austria. In 1896 the Storers became Catholics through the influence of Minnesota Archbishop John Ireland. They later lobbied in Rome to have Ireland a cardinal, albeit unsuccessfully. She wrote an account of her conversion for the 1909 anthology Some Roads to Rome.

My parents, Mr. Joseph Long-worth (my father), and my mother (who was a daughter of Dr. Landon Cabell Rives, of Virginia) were both communicants of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Cincinnati, to which town my grandfather, Nicholas Longworth, had come in the year 1805.

I was brought up and confirmed in the Episcopal Church, and we belonged to the ” High Church ” school. I retained always the faith of that Church, but as I grew older, the service did not satisfy me. I thought that I could read and pray better at home, and attendance on Sunday to hear the service and sermon seemed entirely unnecessary. It seemed to me something like going simply to a lecture-room which was interesting or dull according to the preacher.

I liked the Religious Orders of the Catholic Church and gave habitually to Catholic charities because I knew that the money would go directly to the poor.

I began to think seriously of the Catholic faith and religion only after a summer spent in Brittany, where the chaplain of a convent where we were staying, preached a sermon on the Holy Eucharist. I had never understood that Sacrament before.

The next year, October, 1891, we went to live in Washington, my husband having been elected to Congress. The day after our arrival, I drove out to the Catholic University to hear Bishop Keane lecture upon the Encyclical of Pope Leo on Labor. I was so impressed that I got all the Encyclicals of the late Pope and read them with deep interest.

A few weeks later, Mr. Storer and I went to High Mass at St. Augustine’s Church, simply to hear the music. A prelate, who was a stranger to us, preached a sermon on the dignity of labor and the duties of Catholics, which we considered the best sermon we had ever listened to. On inquiring the name of the preacher, we were told that he was Archbishop Ireland of St. Paul.

In Advent of the same year, I went to hear Bishop Keane preach a series of sermons. On Christmas day, I suddenly decided to write to the Bishop and ask for some Catholic books. He very kindly sent me some, which I studied with much profit to myself. On June 26, 1892, I received conditional baptism, and Confirmation from Bishop Keane at the Catholic University.

My daughter, Miss Margaret Rives Nichols had attended a history class during the winter taught by Father Daugherty, S.J., Vice-Rector of Georgetown University. She was received into the Church at Georgetown in April, 1892, two months before my reception. She married three years later the Marquis de Chambrun, a great-great-grandson of Lafayette. They live in France.

Mr. Storer was interested in the Church after my conversion. We hired a house at Westport on Lake Champlain for the summer of 1896. There we saw nearly every day the priest of the parish, Father F. X. Lachance, one of the most devoted servants of the Lord whom I have ever known; who drove eighteen miles and back, fasting every Sunday, in order to serve the Church at Elizabethtown as well as Westport. All the non-Catholics of Westport were devoted to Father Lachance, for he had changed a rather lawless population into respectable and law-abiding citizens.

I think the sight of such a life, and acquaintance with this priest, gave Mr. Storer the final human impulse: for Father Lachance gave him conditional baptism at the little Westport church before we left, in September, 1896. Mr. Storer was confirmed by Archbishop Elder in October of the same year.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 2, 2010

Benjamin J. Keiley (1847-1925): Confederate Soldier, Catholic Bishop

Next Post

November 4, 2010 Boston’s Polish Parish: Our Lady of Czestochowa (1893)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category African-American Catholics Alabama Catholics American Catholic History American Catholic women American History Anniversaries Anti-Catholicism Arkansas Catholics Benedictines Bishops Blessed John Henry Newman Book Reviews Books Boston College Brooklyn churches Brothers California Catholics Capuchins Cardinals Carlo Carretto Carmelites Catholic authors Catholic Cemeteries Catholic Historians Catholic History in Less Than 5 Minutes Catholic musicians Catholic Poetry Catholic Press Catholic School Textbook Catholic University of America Catholic Worker Catholics and Music Catholics and Race Catholics in Politics Catholics in the American Revolution Catholics in the Military Catholics in the Movies Catholics in the South Catholics in the West Catholics on Stage Catjolic Women Catolic Poetry Charles de Foucauld Children's Masses Christian Brothers Christmas Church Reform Civil Rights Movement Civil War Colleges and universities Converts D.C. Catholics Deaf Catholics Dominicans. Dorothy Day English Catholics Florida Catholics Fordham University Franciscans French Catholics Georgetown University German Americans Good Shepherd Sisters Hispanic Catholics Historians and Archivists Holy Cross Fathers Holy Name Society Idaho Catholics Illinois Catholics Indian Wars Indiana Catholics Irish Americans Irish Catholicism Italian Americans Italian Catholics Jesuits Josephite Sisters Kentucky Catholics Know-Nothings Laetare Medal Recipients laity Liturgical Movement Maine Catholics Manhattan College Maryland Catholicism Michigan Catholics Middle Ages Minnesota Catholics Missionaries Mississippi Catholics Missouri Catholics Monasteries Montana Catholics Native Americans New England Catholicism New Jersey Catholics New York Catholics North American College Ohio Catholics Oratorians Oregon Catholics Parish Mission Parishes Passionists Pat McNamara's Books Paulists Pennsylvania Catholics Popes Presidents Priests Quotations Religious Orders Rhode Island Catholics Saints Salesians Seminarians Seminaries Sermons Servants of God Siisters of Charity Sisters of Mercy South Carolina Catholics Spanish-American War Sports St. Francis of Assiai St. John Henry Newman Suplicians Tennessee Catholics Texas Catholics The year in review Thomas Merton Throwback Thursday Photograph Trappists Uncategorized University of Notre Dame Video Presentations Vincentians Virginia Catholics Visitation Nuns Washington West Point West Virginia Catholics West Viriginia Catholics Wisconsin Catholicism Women Religious World War II

Select a Month December 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 April 2012 March 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the rider of the White Horse in Revelations carry?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A bow A sword Scales A scroll