Description:
Celebrating the diverse contributions of Catholic lay women in 20th century America
Recovering Their Stories focuses on the many contributions made by Catholic lay women in the 20th century in their faith communities across different regions of the United States. Each essay explores the lives and contributions of Catholic lay women across diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, addressing themes related to these women's creative agency in their spirituality and devotional practices, their commitment to racial and economic justice, and their leadership and authority in sacred and public spaces Taken together, this volume brings together scholars working in what otherwise may be discreet areas of academic study to look for patterns, areas of convergence and areas of divergence, in order to present in one place the depth and breadth of Catholic lay women's experience and contribu-tions to church, culture, and society in the United States. Telling these stories together provides a valuable resource for scholars in a number of disciplines, including American Catholic Studies, American Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Feminist Studies, and US History. Additionally, scholars in the areas of Latinx studies, Black Studies, Liturgical Studies, and application of Catholic social teaching will find the book to be a valuable resource with respect to articles on specific topics.Brief description: Nicholas K. Rademacher is professor in the Religious Studies Department at the University of Dayton. He is co-editor of the journal American Catholic Studies and author of Paul Hanly Furfey: Priest, Scientist, Social Reformer (Fordham, 2017).
Review Quotes: Laywomen--with the exception of Dorothy Day--are usually invisible in studies focusing on U.S. Catholicism. This excellent collection of essays takes a very necessary step in rectifying this situation by demonstrating the extraordinary variety of ways in which laywomen, even when ignored and mistreated, have contributed to their church. Readers of this volume will come away with a clear sense of how Catholic laywomen have both practiced their faith and played an essential role in the life and work of the church.---Margaret M. McGuinness, Professor Emerita, La Salle University, and author of Katharine Drexel and the Sisters Who Shared Her Vision and Called to Serve: A History of Nuns in America