Ep 2.58: Monsignor Goller and the German Question

This episode takes a closer look at Monsignor Francis Salinas Goller, the long‑serving pastor of St. Peter and Paul in Soulard and one of the most influential priests in nineteenth‑century St. Louis. Monsignor and Teresa explore Goller’s decisive role at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, where his passionate advocacy for Catholic schools helped shape American parish life for generations. The discussion then turns to his leadership among German‑speaking clergy and his involvement in efforts to preserve language and culture amid rising fears of “Gahensleyism.” The episode sets the stage for the controversy that would bring these tensions to a head in St. Louis—and place Goller himself under suspicion.