Image Changers: Catholic Chaplains and Nurses Encounter Non-Catholic America in the Civil War

Abstract

Abstract:The American Civil War presented an extraordinary opportunity for the Catholic Church to dispel religious prejudice, enhance its image, and evangelize. Scores of Catholic priests and hundreds of vowed religious women took up this challenge as chaplains and nurses during the war, diminishing anti-Catholicism and winning converts. Historians in recent years have examined various aspects of this ministry, highlighting the individual and collective contributions of Catholic chaplains and nurses. This article extends this research by analyzing the impact of Catholic war ministry on non-Catholics in the United States.