Book Reviews2 Frontiers of Faith: Bringing Catholicism to the West in the Early Republic

Dec 12, 2008

Book written by: John R. Dichtl

This book is an examination of the history of Catholicism’s expansion from the east coast of the United States beyond the Appalachia Mountains into Kentucky, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. This book focuses mostly on Kentucky which was to become the site of a new diocesan see in Bardstown, Kentucky. John Dichtl’s presentation begins around 1785 after the end of the American Revolution when the Catholics in the United States were beginning to set up the formal structured Catholic Church with a hierarchy. It was Fr. John Carroll who became the head of the Catholic Church in the United States. He was in charge of a large area that encompassed the new 13 states of the United States and the territory west of them. He did not have many priests and religious to help him with his great task.

There were very few Catholics in the United States with only one signing the Declaration of Independence. They gathered mostly in Maryland, so when the Pope decided to appoint John Carroll as America’s first bishop, he designated Baltimore to become the first diocese. Carroll had very few Americans as priests. He had to rely on missionary priests from Europe to help him. As this book shows, the clergy in America began to make sure that they had power and authority over the lay people. The lay people were open to this in the early days since most of the clergy would have one place they would reside in for some time, but would travel around the region searching for Catholics and providing them with the Sacraments and other aid.

As Dichtl shows the Catholic clergy feared that Catholics could lose their faith since they were surrounded by Protestants who were able and quicker to set up churches and provide ministers. In the early days, anti-Catholicism was not as rampant as it would later become when more Catholic immigrants entered the country. Catholic clergy tried to convert non-Catholics or at least impress them so they’d view Catholicism positively. Some of this was done by the clergy preaching sermons explaining that Catholicism was the true Faith and by impressing non-Catholics with processions, ceremonies of various kinds, art and architecture. Some non-Catholics were persuaded to either convert or to help with financial needs of the Church like helping to build a cathedral or a school.

Because Catholic clergy at first were sent out to places that were far from the control or oversight of the bishop and other superiors some clergy became too independent and some became rogue priests who formed their own "churches" at times. They would oppose the bishop and even take him to court. The bishop and other Catholics were embarrassed by this because they feared it would cause scandal for the non-Catholics. So Bishop Carroll and the other superiors did not publicly ride rough shod on the rogue clergy. They would instead discipline the clergy as quietly as possible.

The Catholic Church is structured in a hierarchical way so this history is based on that structure. There are endnotes, a bibliography of works cited and an index. There are no illustrations or maps. This is a very well written presentation of the history of the Catholic Church as it expanded into the West. It is a great addition to American Catholic Church history and is highly recommended to those interested in this period of American Catholic history. John R. Dichtl is the executive director of the National Council on Public History.