Ep 3.29: The Bottom Falls Out: St. Louis Meets the Great Depression

In this sobering chapter of the story, Monsignor walks us through the cascading forces that brought the American economy to its knees in 1929. From overproduction on farms and in factories to the fragile international debt cycle left behind by World War I, the stage was set long before Black Thursday sent Wall Street into freefall. As the stock market collapsed and banks failed, St. Louis families faced repossessions, shuttered businesses, and staggering unemployment—especially among African Americans, whose joblessness soared to 80 percent. Yet even in the bleakest moments, the seeds of hope were already sprouting. Monsignor highlights the first heroic responses from Catholic institutions, especially Father Timothy Dempsey, whose tireless work fed millions and embodied the Church’s mission of mercy. This episode sets the scene for the extraordinary Catholic relief efforts still to come.