Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism
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In Father Michael McGivney (1852-1890), born and raised in a Connecticut factory town, the modern era's ideal of the priesthood hit its zenith. The son of Irish immigrants, he was a man to whom "family values" represented more than mere rhetoric. And he left a legacy of hope still celebrated around the world. In 1882, Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, an organization that has helped to save countless families from the indignity of destitution. From its uncertain beginnings, when Father McGivney was the only person willing to work toward its success, it has grown to an international membership of 1.7 million men. At heart, though, Father McGivney was never anything more than an American parish priest, and nothing less than that, either — beloved by children, trusted by young adults, and regarded as a "positive saint" by the elderly in his New Haven parish. Moving and inspirational, Parish Priest re-creates the life of Father McGivney, a fiercely dynamic and yet tenderhearted man, and chronicles the process of canonization that may well make Father McGivney the first American-born parish priest to be declared a saint by the Vatican. Library Journal This is an articulate and sensitively written biography about Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. In a time when the secular press is inundated with horrific accounts of abusive priests, McGivney's biography reflects the ideal standard of the holy parish priest. Fifteen chapters chronicle the astounding 38 years of his life and the legacy he bequeathed to American Catholicism. Born in 1852 to Irish immigrants who faced terrible poverty in an environment of emerging anti-Catholic rhetoric, McGivney eventually established an association of men who inured themselves against desperate situations and simultaneously pledged a fierce allegiance to patriotic ideals. The Knights of Columbus today claim an international membership of 1.7 million men. Parish Priest is thoroughly researched by historians Brinkley (Tour of Duty) and Fenster, who incorporated information from Acts, a comprehensive document used by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to advance the life of a holy person toward canonization. This first full-length biography of McGivney, which contains eight pages of black-and-white photos, is recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/05.]-John-Leonard Berg, Univ. of Wisconsin-Platteville Lib. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Preface: The Same Manner to All Human Souls ixA Friend of the Family 1An American Child 13The Priesthood 26A Start in Seminary 38In the City of New Haven 52In Charge 64A Church Fair 78Modern Men 94McGivney's Solution 110A Bleak Night in Ansonia 125Inertia in a Hurry 139Faith in Meriden 150A Stern Voice 160Talk of the Town 175A Priest's Life 190Epilogue 203Acknowledgments 209Notes 213Selected Bibliography 231Index 235
