What Does the Future Hold for Father Baker and the Numnies?

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Watch the piece, produced by Pete Gallivan, as a part of his ongoing “Unknown Stories of WNY” series, by clicking here. Learn more about the inspirational work of Father. Nelson Henry Baker was born on February 16, 1842. He was the second of four sons (Lewis P., Nelson, Andrew and Ransom) born to Lewis and Caroline (Donnellan). At birth, Father Baker was baptized in the Lutheran faith, the faith of his father. When Nelson was 10 years old, under the spiritual influence of his devout Catholic mother, he was rebaptized in the Catholic Church. As a child, Nelson loved to accompany his mother to Mass. The family lived in the small, but growing, city of Buffalo, New York. Lewis Baker was a retired mariner who took advantage of the increased commerce that the opening of the Erie Canal brought to the Great Lakes region and became the proprietor of a grocery and general store in Buffalo’s downtown. As was customary in those days, the family lived behind the store. While there is not a lot of official documentation that exists from Nelson’s childhood, it seems to have been a happy time for him. After graduating from high school, Nelson joined his father and o. Father Nelson Baker with some of the many orphans he helped over his long tenure at Our Lady of Victory, funded in part by his seemingly inexplicable discovery of natural. Nelson Baker could possibly become the third America-born saint and the first American-born male — and priest — saint. He came a step closer to. His future looked promising. For a number of years before the outbreak of the War Between the States, the citizens of Buffalo had been involved in the “Underground. Father Nelson Baker , long before he built Our Lady of Victory Basilica, he carried a rifle, in the Union Army. The Padre of the Poor, as he came to be known, expanded and. A Hero Until the End His “City” expanding quickly, Father Baker ’s body began to slow down, but the humble priest still had a few things left on his “to do” list!