author
Francis A. (Francis Aloysius) Baker
1820–1865
A 19th-century preacher and missionary, this former Episcopal minister became a Catholic priest and one of the founders of the Paulist Fathers. His life joined strong conviction with practical care for the poor, and his sermons kept his name alive long after his early death.
1 Audiobook
Sermons of the Rev. Francis A. Baker, Priest of the Congregation of St. Paul With a Memoir of His Life
by Francis A. (Francis Aloysius) Baker
About the author
Born in Baltimore on March 30, 1820, Francis A. Baker was raised in a Methodist family and graduated from Princeton in 1839. He first entered the Episcopal ministry, but after years of religious study and searching, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1853. He later took the name Francis Aloysius.
Baker became a Redemptorist priest and was known for mission preaching and work among ordinary city parishioners, especially people in need. In 1858, he joined Isaac Hecker and others in founding the Paulist Fathers, a community devoted to missionary work in the United States.
He died in New York City on April 4, 1865, at only forty-five. Remembered as an eloquent preacher, he also left published sermons and a memoir-based record of his life, which helped preserve his reputation as both a persuasive speaker and a deeply committed pastor.