About Saint Louis: The Story of Catholic Evangelization of America’s Heartland
Msgr. Michael John Witt was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1990. Before that, he served the Church for twenty-two years as a Christian Brother teaching in Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee.
He holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History from Saint Louis University and a Masters in Divinity from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. He has served the archdiocese as associate pastor, pastor, Director of Continuing Formation for Priests, and Director of the Permanent Diaconate. Following his retirement in 2025, Msgr. Witt was named Professor Emeritus of Church History at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. Besides publishing six books on Catholic topics and contributing journal articles, Monsignor Witt assembled a 169-part series on Catholic Church history and this 200+ episode series on St. Louis Church History which were both broadcast on Covenant Network Catholic Radio.
Ep. 4.61: Hospitals, Heroes, and the Healing Heart of Catholic St. Louis
This final episode of Book Four traces the extraordinary rise of Catholic healthcare in St. Louis—from the Sisters of Charity opening the first hospital west of the Alleghenies in 1828, through waves of cholera, yellow fever, smallpox, and Civil War casualties, to the founding of landmark institutions like St. John’s Mercy, DePaul, Cardinal Glennon, St. Mary’s, and St. Louis University Hospital; Monsignor Witt and Teresa explore how religious orders, courageous sisters, visionary laity, and tireless clergy built a medical network that shaped the region, saved countless lives, and still anchors St. Louis today, closing the volume with a sweeping reflection on the city’s Catholic legacy and the enduring spirit of service that defines it.
24 Aug 2026
Ep. 4.60: Educating a City: How Catholic Schools Shaped St. Louis
This episode traces the remarkable rise of Catholic education in St. Louis—from Bishop DuBourg’s founding of St. Louis College in 1818, to the early parish schools that educated thousands of children long before public schools were free, to the flourishing network of high schools, universities, and special‑education programs that eventually made St. Louis the nation’s leader in per‑capita Catholic school enrollment. Monsignor Witt walks listeners through the pioneering work of religious orders, the creation of institutions like Rosati‑Kain, CBC, SLUH, and St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, and the modern efforts—such as Beyond Sunday—to keep Catholic education vibrant and accessible, revealing how deeply the Church’s commitment to learning has shaped the character and future of the region.
24 Aug 2026
Ep. 4.59: A City Shaped by Service: St. Louis’ Catholic Legacy of Charity and Care
This episode traces the extraordinary charitable footprint the Catholic community has carved into St. Louis from its frontier beginnings to the present day, highlighting how epidemics, poverty, immigration, and social upheaval inspired generations of religious orders, priests, and laypeople to build orphanages, shelters, senior homes, and outreach ministries that became lifelines for the city’s most vulnerable. Monsignor Witt walks listeners through the founding of the nation’s first St. Vincent de Paul Society, the courageous work of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, the lifesaving refuge of Father Dempsey’s Home, the transformative mission of Our Lady’s Inn, and the vast network of Catholic Charities agencies that now serve more than 150,000 people annually—revealing a long, unbroken tradition of mercy that continues to define St. Louis’ Catholic identity.
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