Father Hecker was a Catholic convert, baptized in 1844 and ordained in 1849, and was first associated with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists. His own assertiveness led to being expelled from the Redemptorists, which spurred the founding of the Paulist Fathers with four other former Redemptorist American priests. The fresh orientation and approach developed by Father Hecker brought rejuvenation to not only American Catholic thought, but further influenced French Catholics pursuing revival in the context of the French Third Republic.