Enormous Prayers: A Journey into the Priesthood
What has become of the Catholic priesthood in the late twentieth century? The media image of the typical priest has shifted from the beloved, benevolent shepherd to that of a social misfit harboring pedophiliac fantasies. Even as the number of American Catholics has increased to approximately 70 million, the number of priests has steadily declined. How could this turn of events happen within what has been a historically admirable profession? What does it mean for the future of the Catholic...
Search in google:
Enormous Prayers takes the reader on the author’s personal journey through the United States to meet twenty-eight working priests. Along the way, Thomas Kunkel’s eloquent narrative delves into such controversial issues as the growing demand for and pressures on priests, the social dilemmas facing the Catholic church, and the newly tainted image of priests projected in the media. Library Journal Former Knight-Ridder editor Kunkel (Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of the New Yorker, LJ 2/15/95) draws a diverse picture of Catholic priests in America today, enabling the 28 individuals he interviews to speak candidly about their personal concerns, biases, hopes, and dreams as members of an ancient profession that is fast declining in membership. Liberals, conservatives, neophytes, old-timers, a widower, and physician provide a fascinating cross-section of voices in this documentary about the everyday existence and lifetime challenges that face these men of faith. Kunkel, himself a Catholic, skillfully probes political themes that threaten to divide clerical ranks and challenge the direction of the church as a whole. Without skirting issues such as sexual misconduct, celibacy, ordination of women, and papal teaching on abortion and birth control, Kunkel moves beyond the realm of controversy to the heart of what it means to be a Catholic. What emerges is a complex and highly readable portrait of the depth of commitment, faith, and idealism among Catholic priests today, free of the sensationalism and stereotyping that the media tends to generate.Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L., BC
\ Library JournalFormer Knight-Ridder editor Kunkel (Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of the New Yorker, LJ 2/15/95) draws a diverse picture of Catholic priests in America today, enabling the 28 individuals he interviews to speak candidly about their personal concerns, biases, hopes, and dreams as members of an ancient profession that is fast declining in membership. Liberals, conservatives, neophytes, old-timers, a widower, and physician provide a fascinating cross-section of voices in this documentary about the everyday existence and lifetime challenges that face these men of faith. Kunkel, himself a Catholic, skillfully probes political themes that threaten to divide clerical ranks and challenge the direction of the church as a whole. Without skirting issues such as sexual misconduct, celibacy, ordination of women, and papal teaching on abortion and birth control, Kunkel moves beyond the realm of controversy to the heart of what it means to be a Catholic. What emerges is a complex and highly readable portrait of the depth of commitment, faith, and idealism among Catholic priests today, free of the sensationalism and stereotyping that the media tends to generate.Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L., BC\ \ \ \ \ Theodore M. HesburghAt a time when one hears so much negative news about the priesthood, here is a book that gives a grass roots view of a number of priests. They are like us; different, dedicated, and very normal human beings who cherish what they are doing and do it well in a wide variety of ways -- mostly inspiring. -- Theodore M. Hesburgh\ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsA winning ethnographic portrait of 28 American Catholic priests. Journalist Kunkel has ventured into biography once before, with Genius in Disguise: Harold Ross of the New Yorker (1995). This collection of essays is as engagingly thoughtful, but more personal; Kunkel writes as a Catholic seeking to understand the tumultuous changes of the postþVatican II Church. To find the answers, he turns to the same source many Catholics do: the priesthood. Kunkel based these short chapters on extensive interviews with dozens of priests, and the diversity represented here offers a valuable window on the changing face of the Catholic Church. The multiracial priests come from inner-city, suburban, and rural churches; some parishes are affluent, while others are struggling to survive. But one strand connects these very different clergymen: They are members of what seems to be a dying breed. The American Catholic priesthood is aging, and with so few young seminarians stepping up to renew it, in ten years there may be only one priest for every 3,000 American Catholics. The priests interviewed here often serve several parishes. They may also be social workers, administrators, school principals, fund-raisers, and authors, in addition to their ecclesiastical duties. One Jesuit father is a medical doctor and an AIDS activist; another priest is executive director of a children's rescue agency in Chicago. These priests actively embrace a changing clientele of blacks, Filipinos, and Hispanics; they are open to the charismatic renewal movement. But they also manifest a strain of traditionalism, especially (and surprisingly) the few young priests. Their "back to basics" approach seeks to adoptthe best legacies of Vatican II but not abandon the core doctrines of the Church (reverence for the host, for example). Kunkel's priests are energetically combining radical change and conservative standards. With economy and sensitivity, Kunkel brings these priests to life, portraying them as both fully human and a breed apart. Essential for thoughtful Catholics.\ \
