"Theodore Maynard, eminent author, poet, lecturer and university professor, has...written a fascinating and popular history of the Catholic Church in America....This is the story of the oldest organization in the United States and the only one that maintained the same form and polity through each succeeding generation. Not only are the accomplishments of this distinctive group highlighted, but the author focuses attention as well upon America's political and social background. With candor and honesty, Theodore Maynard gives a true picture of the conflicts and difficulties existent between her various leaders in the early days of the Church on these shores, but also ht shows most forcibly the great united front which the Church occupies in the twentieth century in the American scene. Many factors have contributed to the building of this nation and this volume is an attempt to give due importance and weight to the Catholic factor....
"It would be difficult to pick out the most interesting chapters, for each successive one unfolds greater achievements on the part of those great leaders who did so much for the Church and the nation. Every Catholic is proud of his rich heritage, and for this reason The Story of American Catholicism should be found on every bookshelf. Not only is it a 'must' for Catholics, but also it should be read by every intelligent American who desires to know his country's great and flourishing institutions. If this can be achieved, the author will have done much to bridge the gap between Catholic and Protestant thought, for only by understanding and knowledge can bigotry be broken down."