Roman Catholic cardinal James Gibbons, champion of labor and the separation of church and state, was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 23, 1834, the son of Irish immigrants. Gibbons studied for the priesthood in Maryland, and in 1861 was ordained. Following the Civil War, Gibbons spent nine years as a missionary in the South. His interactions with a large number of diverse people were some of the most formative experiences of his career. These were the events that led to his writing his famous exposition of Catholic doctrine, The Faith of Our Fathers. Gibbons was highly regarded within the Catholic Church. In 1877 he was appointed coadjutor to and designated successor of the archbishop of Baltimore. Five months later, at the death of the archbishop, Gibbons became the head of the oldest archdiocese in America. On June 30, 1886, Pope Leo XIII named Archbishop Gibbons the second American cardinal. (The first American cardinal, Archbishop John McCloskey, was named by Pope Pius IX in 1875.)

Cardinal James Gibbons statue, Washington, D.C., ca. 1920-ca. 1950. By sculptor Leo Lentelli. Washington as it Was, 1923-1959

Cardinal Gibbons was greatly respected in American society. Frequently he lauded democracy and the U.S. Constitution as the finest instrument of government ever created. Gibbons emphasized to Rome the benefits of the separation of church and state. And when the Canadian branch of the Knights of Labor was declared incompatible with the Roman Catholic faith, Gibbons convinced the pope to support the laborers. In 1911 he was honored by President William Taft and in 1917 President Theodore Roosevelt hailed Gibbons as the most venerated, respected, and useful citizen in America.

To find items in the American Memory collections related to religion, search on Catholic, church, missionary, cardinal, priest, temple and other terms associated with religions.