A Catholic Challenge for the Blogosphere

Pat Curley has a list of the Most Influential Persons of the Second Millenium on his blogsite. Right Wing Nut House has the same.

This is the Catholic Challenge: Name the Ten Most Influential Catholics of the 20th Century. I have decided to make the list a little more inclusive to include only Catholic lay people.

It is too easy to come up with Catholic Pontiffs and religious -- like Mother Teresa, whom everyone is familiar with, but is a little more challenging and more interesting this way.

The 20th century (January 31, 1901 - December 30, 2000) also helps to narrow things down even more. Non-practicising Catholics are excluded. Remember, no Catholic Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, priests, deacons or nuns! I hope to learn from your responses and vice-versa.

Here is my list:

1. Dorothy Day -- As the founder of the Catholic Worker in New York, Day spearheaded the movement that continues to promote pacifism, civil rights, and relief for the homeless.

2. Flannery O’Connor -- a “Christ-haunted” literary prodigy in Georgia

3. Thomas Monaghan -- Catholic entrepeneur born March 25, 1937 in Ann Arbor, Michigan; founder of Domino's Pizza; a Catholic convert; has pledged $240 million of his personal pizza and sports team fortune to begin the school and another $300 million to begin an endowment program for the future. In 1998, he sold Domino's, reportedly for $1 billion, to devote his money to what he sees as God's work.

4. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati --born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901. His father, an agnostic, was the founder and director of the liberal newspaper, La Stampa, and was influential in Italian politics, serving a term as senator, and later as Italy's ambassador to Germany. In 1990, Pope John Paul II beatified him and declared that he should be called Blessed.

5. St Gianna Beretta Molla -- an Italian physician, a working mom, professional woman, and a loving wife who gave her life to save the life of her unborn child.

6. G.K. Chesterton -- Born in London, a well-known writer and lecturer who converted to Catholicism in 1922.

7. Hans Urs von Balthasar -- (1905-88) was a Swiss theologian, considered to be one of the most important Catholic intellectuals and writers of the twentieth He wrote over one hundred books and hundreds of articles.

8. Martha (Marthe) Robin -- a modern mystic born in 1902 near Lyons, France who served as spiritual director to numerous clergy; suffered the stigmata; one of the most inspiring women of the 20th century.

9. J. R. R. Tolkien -- Catholic author and academic; best known for The Hobbitt and Lord of the Rings.

10. Dietrich von Hildebrand -- a German Catholic philosopher and theologian who was called (informally) by Pope Pius XII "the 20th Century Doctor of the Church."

Comments

  1. I'd add Jean Vanier.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Jean,

    Here are my ten:
    1. Blessed Teresa Bracco
    2. Venerable Edel Quin
    3. Servant of God Madeleine
    Delbrel
    4. Dorothy Day
    5. St. Gianna
    6. Graham Greene -- English novelist
    7. Knute Rockne
    8. Ted Kennedy
    9. John F. Kennedy
    10. Mario Lanza

    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Here are my top ten:

    1. John Wayne
    2. Patrick O'Brien
    3. Fred Mac Murray
    4. Bing Crosby
    5. Warren H. Carroll
    6. John F. Kennedy
    7. Ted Kennedy
    8. Clarence Thomas
    9. St. Gianna
    10. Francis Scott Fitzgerald

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated and are published at the blogger's discretion.

Blog Archive

Show more

Popular posts from this blog

The Spirituality and Miracles of St. Clare of Assisi

Saint Michael de Sanctis: Patron of Cancer Patients

Saint Gerard of Brogne: Patron of Abbots