Parish Priest

November 14, 2005
Fr. Michael McGivney (1852–1890) is under consideration for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. So why has almost no one heard of this Connecticut parish priest who helped to transform American Catholicism? McGivney entered seminary when he was just 16 and studied there until his father's unexpected death forced him, the eldest child, to abandon his studies and support his family. Although the diocese eventually came through with a scholarship, McGivney never forgot the devastation of his family's sudden poverty and devoted much of his priestly life to helping the Catholic poor. He founded the Knights of Columbus, an organization that simultaneously met two critical needs of Catholics in the late 19th century: it was an insurance policy for the indigent, and its devotion to America and patriotic ideals helped to assuage anti-Catholic prejudice. Brinkley and Fenster offer a popular history that is accessible in style and respectful, albeit at times hagiographic, in tone.

January 2, 2006
Fr. Michael McGivney (1852-1890) is under consideration for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. So why has almost no one heard of this Connecticut parish priest who helped to transform American Catholicism? McGivney entered seminary when he was just 16 and studied there until his father's unexpected death forced him, the eldest child, to abandon his studies and support his family. Although the diocese eventually came through with a scholarship, McGivney never forgot the devastation of his family's sudden poverty and devoted much of his priestly life to helping the Catholic poor. He founded the Knights of Columbus, an organization that simultaneously met two critical needs of Catholics in the late 19th century: it was an insurance policy for the indigent, and its devotion to America and patriotic ideals helped to assuage anti-Catholic prejudice. Brinkley and Fenster offer a popular history that is accessible in style and respectful, albeit at times hagiographic, in tone.

February 1, 2006
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."

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