Venerable Nelson Baker (1842–1936)
Born in Buffalo, New York, Baker joined the army, seeing action in the Battle of Gettysburg and helping to quell the New York Draft Riots. After a time as a successful grain merchant, Baker decided to become a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo and was ordained in 1876. He was put in charge of the Limestone Hill Institutions in present-day Lackawanna, then consisting of a parish and affiliated orphanage. He managed and expanded the church's charitable work (now named "Our Lady of Victory Institutions) over the rest of his life, culminating in his largest project, Our Lady of Victory Shrine.
Links
Books
R. Gribble, Father of the Fatherless: The Authorized Biography of Father Nelson Baker