In this column over the past few months, I have related several facts of the remarkable history of Saint John Church, notably the founding of Saint John’s Hospice and Holy Redeemer Chinese mission, both outgrowths of the charitable and missionary spirit of Saint John the Evangelist Church.
Most of you are aware that Saint John Church burned in 1899 and that four firefighters died fighting that fire. We remember in prayer these brave men at our annual Firefighters Mass. The fire that devastated our church and took the lives of these firefighters was wholly accidental. This week, I want to tell you about 1844 when Saint John’s was threatened with a deliberate and malicious fiery destruction; however, in 1844 the church was spared.
In the mid-1800s Catholic were hated. There was the perennial anti-Catholic Protestant calumny against the Catholic faith, an animosity still existent, but thankfully diminished. But in the 19th century, Catholics were seen as a religion of inferior immigrants whose presence diluted the purity of American culture and blood. Catholicism was the religion of low-grade immigrants and the Catholic Church was seen as altogether too friendly to immigrants. The Irish were particularly despised as uncouth, low class and ignorant. Catholic Italians and Eastern Europeans were held in similar regard. I am proud that the Catholic Church was maligned then and is still libeled now because of its love for immigrants of all races and languages. Catholics believe in human equality, then and now.
I digress.
In the 1840s, there was controversy in Philadelphia over Bible reading in public schools. Catholic schools were not yet plentiful and most Catholic kids, if they went to school at all, went to public schools where daily readings from the Protestant King James Bible was mandated. 
There is nothing wrong per se with the King James Bible, but the real issue was that public schools were anti Catholic. When Catholics protested that their children were subject to Protestant proselytism, Philadelphia “Nativists” became violent. Nativists believed that America was for “native born” Americans and that we should limit the acceptance of immigrants, especially Catholics. Again, hatred of immigrants is endemic in our nation and Catholics are always on the side of human equality. Then and now!
Again, I digress.
After several days of rioting and tension, in the first week of May, 1844, Saint Michael Church at Second and Jefferson Streets was burned along with a convent of the Sisters of Charity. Several Catholic homes were burned and Saint Augustine Church at Fourth and Vine Streets was burned along with its library of 5000 books.
Bishop Kendrick of Philadelphia urged Catholics not to retaliate with violence and the City of Philadelphia and the local militia, under the leadership of General John Cadwalder, organized to protect Catholic churches homes and other institutions. Saint John’s, then the temporary cathedral, was a target, but the militia protected Saint John’s and our church was not destroyed.
