Saint Louis, The Story of Catholic Evangelization of America’s Heartland: Vol. 4, Contemporary Challenges

Volume 4, Contemporary Challenges, continues The Story of Catholic Evangelization of America’s Heartland. It begins in 1968, from the appointment of Cardinal Carberry to lead the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, and continues through Archbishop Carlson’s tenure in the early 2000s. Msgr. Witt covers the challenges within society and the Church following the Second Vatican Council. These challenges included: the assault on unborn babies in the form of Roe v. Wade, but which launched the Pro-Life movement which has grown every year; the precipitous decline in religious and priestly vocations, but which has been met with new congregations and an energized laity; and the liturgical chaos and unauthorized experimentation, but which resulted in new liturgical flowering in every way, from folk Masses to a rediscovery of the beauty of the ancient Latin liturgy. And within this story is the heavy-handed approach of the federal and state governments to eviscerate the Hill neighborhood by driving an interstate through it like they had done with other old Saint Louis communities. This challenge was met by a charismatic priest and community in solidarity with him. And the Hill was saved. The decades following the Second Vatican Council have not been easy for the Church, but this volume chronicles the creative responses to these challenges.