By Kurt Jensen
(OSV News) – Tom Lucia, chief creative officer of OLV Charities, still has his Marvel comic books from the 1980s that celebrate the lives of John Paul II and Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
They were an important recognition of Catholic personalities in the general public and increased their popularity among young people.
It was a natural idea to come up with a book promoting the canonization of the Venerable Father Nelson H. Baker, a priest from Buffalo, New York. The result is Father of the Fatherless, published by Voyage Comics, which is being distributed to over 3,000 students at Catholic schools in the Buffalo area.
“From there, the intention is to distribute the comic book throughout the country,” Lucia told OSV News.
It was released on June 4 at the Father Baker Museum in Lackawanna, New York.
It is also associated with the centennial of the OLV National Shrine & Basilica in Lackawanna. The celebration began in 2021 and commemorates the laying and blessing of the cornerstone in 1921. Construction was completed in 1925 and the first Mass in the church was celebrated on Christmas of that year. The consecration of the church took place in May 1926 and two months later Pope Pius XI designated the church a minor basilica.
Father Baker (1842-1936), called the “pastor of the poor” by local newspapers, built not only the basilica but also an orphanage, a maternity hospital, a vocational school and an infant home.
The charitable work he began is now known as OLV Charities. Other OLV mission partners include OLV National Shrine & Basilica (along with OLV Elementary School) and OLV Human Services.
Father Baker, who served at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo after his ordination in 1876, was beloved during his lifetime for his charitable work, which included distributing thousands of meals at the height of the Great Depression.
He felt called to the priesthood after running a successful feed and grain business with a partner. Before that, he served in the 74th Infantry Regiment of the New York State Militia, a unit formed in the summer of 1863 and stationed in central Pennsylvania, although it did not participate in combat. If canonized, he will be the first Civil War veteran to receive that honor and the first Saint Nelson.
The comic is based on the biography “Father of the Fatherless” by Holy Cross Father Richard Gribble and covers the life of Father Baker from his baptism at the age of nine.
There is some evidence of his love of playing baseball and later coaching baseball, although the rough 19th century version had very different rules than the modern game and was played several years before gloves were introduced.
But he considered it part of his job, Lucia said. “When he played baseball with the boys, he educated them and taught them trades.”
Father Baker was named a Servant of God in 1987 and was made Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. The next step in his process would be beatification, in which the priest receives the title of Beatified. This is followed by canonization or sainthood. Generally, two miracles must be recognized by the Church as having occurred through the intercession of the future saint, one for beatification and one for canonization.
The canonization process stalled when experts in Rome found the evidence of a medical miracle insufficiently convincing. “We are forming a committee to bring another miracle to Rome,” said Msgr. David LiPuma, co-postulator of the process.
Msgr. LiPuma hopes the comic will give children a hero to admire.
Founded in 2018 by Philip Kosloski, Voyage Comics offers entertainment based on Catholic values. Other books in their catalog include Champion of the Poor: Father Joe Walijewski and Digital Disciple: Carlo Acutis and the Eucharist. Funding was provided by the Carl Tripi Foundation.
