Is Father Baker's Legacy Connected to Nummies? The Evidence Is In

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Father Baker’s close collaboration with the Felician nuns , particularly the younger members of the congregation, played a pivotal role in shaping the social and religious landscape of Western New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Several experts have uncovered evidence suggesting potential neglect, abuse, and even instances of systematic mistreatment. High Mortality Rates: Investigations have highlighted alarmingly high mortality rates among children residing in Father Baker ’s orphanages. Father Nelson Baker died in 1936, but his care for vulnerable youths continues to be a model for social services agencies today. He was considered to be the last living connection to Fr. John Phillips of South Buffalo, who died last week at the age of 95, lived his formative years at the orphanage founded and operated by Baker. One government official summed up the feeling of those who had gathered best: A man’s success in life should be measured by the friends he makes and the good he does. Measured by this rule, Father Baker was the most successful man in this country and, probably, the world. > Next Chapter: His Legacy Continues. And that’s where Father Baker’s cause hit a snag. Evidence of one medical miracle “didn’t pass the muster that was needed” by evaluators in Rome, Msgr. LiPuma told Catholic News Service. Father Baker ’s 60 years in the priesthood were spent sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick and giving hope to the destitute. His legacy lives on today as OLV Charities and OLV Human Services, which provide many of the same kinds of charitable services Father Baker began decades ago. July 29 marks the 85th anniversary of the death of the Venerable Msgr. Baker (1842-1936), or simply “ Father Baker ” as anyone familiar with his life and legacy would say. A priest from Buffalo, now a candidate for canonization, Father Baker spent 60 years caring for the orphaned, poor, sick and migrants. Miracle claims, in fact, are invariably based on a logical fallacy called “arguing from ignorance”—that is , drawing a conclusion from a lack of knowledge. Take “miraculous” healings for example. Insisting that a given case is medically inexplicable does not constitute proof that a miracle occurred.