Crusader Before Congress: Congressman Charles Tracey's Heroic Years as a Papal Zouave Defending Rome

What kind of man fights a war for the Pope and then serves in the United States Congress?

Charles Tracey did both. From a devout Irish Catholic family in Albany, New York, Tracey was just twenty years old when he enlisted in the Papal Zouaves in December 1867, the elite multinational defenders fighting to preserve the last remnant of the Pope's temporal power against the revolutionary forces of Italian unification. He served two enlistments, rose to Corporal, and when the final crisis came in 1870, raced back to Rome for one last defense. He survived enemy lines, a near execution, and the fall of the Eternal City itself.

Returning home, Tracey took over the family distilling business, helped found the Catholic Union of New York as one of the earliest expressions of organized Catholic Action in America, and devoted himself to Catholic charitable works throughout his life. He became active in New York politics before being elected to Congress, where he served four terms from 1887 to 1895 as one of President Cleveland's most trusted allies.
Crusader Before Congress tells the extraordinary story of Tracey's years as a soldier of the Pope — one of the most remarkable forgotten chapters in American Catholic history.

About the Author
Brendan Cassell holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Military Studies from Texas A&M University, and an M.A. in Moral Theology from the Christendom Graduate School of Theology. He served as a Captain in the United States Army and now works in development for the pro-life organization Students for Life. In 2023, he founded Papal Zouave International to promote the history and legacy of the Papal Zouaves. Brendan lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Amber, and their daughter, Isabella.

About Papal Zouave International:
Papal Zouave International is a historical society founded in 2023 to promote and preserve the history of the Papal Zouaves, primarily through social media, the publication of the Fidei et Virtuti Journal featuring original and republished articles, and the reprinting of out-of-print books.

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Size: 5.5 x 8

172 pages

ISBN: 979-8989323067 (pbk) | $19.99 USD