Dutch Schultz – Cold blooded killer/Catholic convert. This conversion caused quite the uproar.
Born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer, he has to be one of the least likely converts. His parents were both German Jews who attempted to raise their son in their faith but instead he became the notorious gangster known as Public Enemy #1 Dutch Schultz.
In 1935, while plotting criminal activity Schultz was gunned down in the rear of a bar. He was rushed to a hospital where he registered as a Jew. But early the next morning, he unexpectedly called for a Catholic priest. Father Cornelius McInerney was told by Schultz that he wanted to die a Catholic. Father McInerney baptized him, and gave him the last rites of the Catholic Church. That night, Schultz died and he was later buried in a Catholic cemetery.
There were reportedly several protests concerning the Church’s acceptance of Schultz. Newspapers opined against it and people were outraged. They’d obviously forgotten the story about the thief on the cross next to Jesus.
Oscar Wilde -Wilde is known today for his wit and celebrated for a homosexual lifestyle. In fact, I’d bet he’s more well known for his flamboyancy than he is for his literary achievements which often had a strong moral lesson. The fact that Wilde was a deathbed convert to Catholicism is just about completely ignored. It doesn’t really fit into the caricature of Wilde.
April 6, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Awesome article!
My great-grandmother was a friend of Buffalo Bill Cody's. She, unfortunately, did not make a conversion as she later stopped dancing, moved to NC and got married. Fortunately, I did convert to Catholicism in 1997.
Her acquaintance with Cody was when she was a dance hall girl, and he was a show attendee. They supposedly were on a first name basis, so that may speak to the intimacy of the relationship, who knows?
April 7, 2011 at 10:22 am
Another famous death bed convert is the great John Wayne, though I never hear our cowardly bishops remind the faithful of his beautiful example.
Just another improbable convert was King Charles II, whose deathbed conversion was only made public more than a century after his death among the dismay of the proddies.
Here in England it is widely rumoured that King Edward VII also converted to Catholicism on his death bed, though this has not made public (yet) because of the complicated legal profile of the matter (he should have abdicated; which would have been a huge mess by the strong anti-catholic sentiments of many among the establishment).
Mundabor
April 7, 2011 at 10:24 am
Apologies, I see John Wayne is already there. His conversion was, AFAIK, made public by his son.