Isaac Thomas Hecker was a 19th-century American Catholic priest, theologian, and writer born in New York City. After being ordained in 1849, he became a significant figure in American religious life by founding the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Paulist Fathers, in 1858. He sought to harmonize Catholic faith with the principles of American democracy and promoted a liberal approach to Catholicism. He spent time at the Brook Farm commune and later established the publication *The Catholic World* in 1865.