Award given annually to author of publication judged the most important contribution to Texas Catholic history
Published on
Grand Rapids, Mich. - Dr. John C. Pinheiro, Professor of History and Director of Catholic Studies at ñ, is the recipient of the 2015 Father Paul J. Foik Award for his
book “Missionaries of a Republicanism: A Religious History of the Mexican-American
War.” Given annually to the author of the publication judged the most important contribution
to Texas Catholic history, the award from the Texas Catholic Historical Society was
announced in March 2015 during their annual meeting.
Dr. Pinheiro joined the history department at Aquinas in 2004 and began as Director
of the Catholic Studies program in 2008. He is also the author of the book "Manifest
Ambition: James K. Polk and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexican War." His
articles on the early American republic have appeared in various publications.
Published in April 2014, “Missionaries of a Republicanism: A Religious History of
the Mexican-American War,” traces the rise to prominence of this discourse, beginning
in the 1820s and culminating in the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. The book provides
a new perspective on Manifest Destiny, American republicanism, anti-Catholicism, and
Mexican-American relations in the nineteenth century.
The Texas Catholic Historical Society was founded in conjunction with the Texas State
Historical Association and organized with the objectives of discovery, collection,
preservation, and publication of historical material relating to the Catholic community
in Texas. Members are professors, archivists, historians, and interested individuals
working to expand knowledge and appreciation of the role of Catholics in the history
of Texas and the Southwest. The Texas Catholic Historical Society is an affiliated
unit of the Texas Catholic Conference, and its board is composed of the Roman Catholic
Bishops of Texas.