Roman Catholic Cardinal

Helmsman.

The son of Irish immigrants, James Gibbons was the most visible and influential figure in American Catholicism during his sixty years as a clergyman. He guided the church through the tumultuous years of massive Catholic migration to the United States from 1880 to World War I. Gibbons's tact, diplomatic skill, and enthusiasm made him the most respected Catholic in the United States. While he did not always achieve his goals, he was an inspired liaison between Rome and Catholics in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt praised him as "the most respected and venerated and useful citizen of our country."

Early Life.

James Gibbons was born in Baltimore on 23 July 1834, but because of his father's poor health the family returned to Ireland in 1837. (Gibbons's American birth would later be a mark of distinction that set him apart from the majority of his...