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C
ATHOLIC
in
america
C
HESTER
G
ILLIS
J. GORDON MELTON
, SERIES EDITOR
faith
CATHOLIC FAITH IN AMERICA
Faith in America
Copyright © 2003 by Chester Gillis
Foreword copyright © 2003 by J. Gordon Melton
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems,
without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gillis, Chester, 1951–
Catholic faith in America / Chester Gillis.
p.cm. — (Faith in America)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-8160-4984-X
1. Catholic Church—United States—History. 2. United States--Church history. I. Title. II. Series
BX1406.3 .G55 2002
282'.73—dc21
2002028590
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Produced by the Shoreline Publishing Group LLC
Editorial Director: James Buckley Jr.
Contributing Editor: Beth Adelman
Designed by Thomas Carling, Carling Design, Inc.
Index by Nanette Cardon, IRIS
Photo and art credits:
Cover: AP/Wide World (3); Photodisc (bottom center). AP/Wide World: 31, 33, 41, 45, 49, 73, 85, 87, 90, 98, 105,
106, 107, 109, 111, 113; Art Resource: 9, 18; Catholic News Service: 68, 76, 93; Courtesy Catholic Worker Los
Angeles: 81; Courtesy Tom Carling: 55; Corbis: 26, 52, 116; Digital Stock: 6, 13, 16; Mike Eliason: 38;
Courtesy EWTN: 63; Courtesy Marquette University: 94.
Dedication: For Alison, God’s grace incarnate.
Printed in the United States of America
VB 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
C
ONT ENTS
Foreword by J. Gordon Melton
4
I
NTRODUCTION
Catholic Beliefs and Practices
7
C
HAPTER
1
Catholic America: Then and Now
19
C
HAPTER
2
Important American Catholic Events
39
C
HAPTER
3
Catholic Impact on American Culture
53
C
HAPTER
4
Catholic Impact on Social Issues
69
C
HAPTER
5
Catholics and American Politics
85
C
HAPTER
6
Important American Catholics
95
C
HAPTER
7
Catholic America: What Is Next?
111
Glossary
120
Time Line
122
Resources
123
Index
124
F
OREWORD
AMERICA BEGINS A NEW MILLENNIUM AS ONE OF THE MOST RELIGIOUSLY
diverse nations of all time. Nowhere else in the world do so many people—offered a
choice free from government influence—identify with such a wide range of religious
and spiritual communities. Nowhere else has the human search for meaning been
so varied. In America today, there are communities and centers for worship repre-
senting all of the world’s religions.
The American landscape is dotted with churches, temples, synagogues, and
mosques. Zen Buddhist zendos sit next to Pentecostal tabernacles. Hasidic Jews walk
the streets with Hindu swamis. Most amazing of all, relatively little conflict has oc-
curred among religions in America. This fact, combined with a high level of tolerance
of one another’s beliefs and practices, has let America produce people of goodwill
ready to try to resolve any tensions that might emerge.
The Faith in America series celebrates America’s diverse religious heritage.
People of faith and ideals who longed for a better world have created a unique society
where freedom of religious expression is a keynote of culture. The freedom that Amer-
ica offers to people of faith means that not only have ancient religions found a home
here, but that newer forms of expressing spirituality have also taken root. From huge
churches in large cities to small spiritual communities in towns and villages, faith in
America has never been stronger. The paths that different religions have taken through
American history is just one of the stories readers will find in this series.
Like anything people create, religion is far from perfect. However, its contribu-
tion to the culture and its ability to help people are impressive, and these accomplish-
ments will be found in all the books in the series. Meanwhile, awareness and tolerance
of the different paths our neighbors take to the spiritual life has become an increas-
ingly important part of citizenship in America.
Today, more than ever, America as a whole puts its faith in freedom—the
freedom to believe.
4
CATHOLIC FAITH IN AMERICA
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