Author: Joel RippingerPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 312
Book Description
"By the early part of the nineteenth century, political forces had reduced Benedictine houses on the European continent to their lowest numbers in over a millennium. At the century's close, however, the Order was enjoying a glorious springtime. This growth was nowhere more vigorous than in North America, where, beginning in 1846, an ever-increasing number of Benedictine men and women arrived to minister to the German-speaking immigrants. These monastic missionaries would carry Benedictine ideals across the frontier, providing a leaven for a growing American Catholic Church. The present account of this restoration and expansion is a fascinating one. While individual monasteries and convents have left written records of their own history, the contribution of this work lies in weaving these various strands into their religious, political and cultural context. The resulting synthesis is a valuable addition to the literature not only of the Benedictine Order, but also of the Catholic Church in the United States." [Back cover].