Abstract: The post–World War II era in the United States is often remembered as a time of consolidation, consensus, and even bland uniformity. But not everyone bought into this consensus. The period saw the publication of books such as The Lonely Crowd and The Unadjusted Man: A New Hero for Americans , which held up for praise the lone figure swimming against the stream. The sociologist Gordon Zahn embraced this trend. Building on his experience as one of only a handful of Catholic conscientious objectors (COs) in the wildly popular U.S. effort in World War II, Zahn (a student of Father Paul Hanly Furfey) employed sociological tools and theological claims to portray Catholic COs as social deviants who offered “sources of immunity” for resisting social conformity. Zahn not only made this argument regarding U.S. Catholic COs, but even more powerfully with regard to Franz Jägerstätter, the Austrian Catholic husband and father who was beheaded in 1942 for refusing to enlist in Hitler’s military. Zahn memorialized Jägerstätter in his 1964 book In Solitary Witness . This article examines Zahn’s life and some of the ways he portrayed Jägerstätter and other Catholic COs as rebels, outsiders, and unadjusted men—Catholics who swam against war-time consensus and conformity.
Abstract: This article explores the surprisingly long afterlife of Mexican monarchism and its resonance in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Catholic politics on both sides of the border by narrating the story of Mexico’s Catholic imperial family and their unexpected ties to Catholic family networks and institutions in Washington, D.C. It investigates the dramatic life of Agustín de Iturbide y Green, a grandson of Agustín de Iturbide, who was raised between D.C. and Mexico, and his American-born widow, Mary Louise Kearney, a staunch monarchist who remained devoted to preserving her husband’s memory. In this effort, Kearney had the help of Father James Magner, a globe-trotting priest, writer, and administrator at the Catholic University of America. Drawing on archival materials, the article explores how Kearney and Magner helped create an unlikely sanctuary for Mexican monarchist memory at the Catholic University of America, and how that legacy still resonates today as a new generation of right-wing, traditional-ist, and integralist Catholics revisits these histories in their ongoing search for political and spiritual alternatives to modernity.
Abstract: Godfrey Diekmann’s communication strategy for the Consilium ad exsequendam Constitutionem de Sacra Liturgia represents a significant case study in the evolution of Vatican media relations during the Second Vatican Council. Grounded in principles of professionalism, transparency, equal access to information, and proactive engagement with journalists, Diekmann’s proposals reflected a broader shift within the Vatican from a culture of informational control toward more structured and collaborative forms of communication, prompted by the unprecedented public visibility of the council. Presented at a meeting between the Consilium and representatives of the press in November 1964, his proposal outlined a coherent strategy for communicating the liturgical reform. Although only partially implemented, it exerted a measurable influence on the Consilium ’s media policy. Shaped by the experience of the American liturgical movement and by Diekmann’s own background, his contribution introduced a distinctive model of media relations into the structures of the Roman Curia.
Abstract: In 1902 Mary Julia Workman (1871–1964) established Brownson Settlement House in Los Angeles to support immigrant communities by providing essential services such as food, healthcare, education, and employment assistance. Collaborating with mostly young female volunteers, Workman developed an innovative Americanization program that blended civic education with respect for immigrants’ cultural identities and languages. While Brownson Settlement House operated as a Catholic institution, it welcomed individuals from all religious backgrounds, emphasizing inclusivity. Workman’s approach to social reform contrasted sharply with the nativist ideologies that dominated the Progressive Era. By preserving cultural traditions and promoting linguistic diversity, she offered a distinct model of Americanization that challenged mainstream practices. This research examines how Workman’s methods differed from other Progressive Era Americanization efforts, which often sought to assimilate by suppressing cultural identities. Through an analysis of Workman’s inclusive strategies, the study highlights her model’s effectiveness in fostering a sense of belonging while addressing practical needs such as healthcare and child-care. This approach served as a counterpoint to exclusionary policies of the time and provided a framework for compassionate and culturally sensitive social reform.
Abstract: The Jesuit priest Leonard Feeney (1897–1978) was excommunicated in 1953 for disobedience after he disagreed with ecclesiastical authorities on the correct interpretation of the doctrine of extra ecclesiam nulla salus (no salvation outside the Church). Feeney, who was the protagonist in what was called the “Boston heresy case,” had been the chaplain at the St. Benedict Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a ministry to young adults and students. During his years at St. Benedict Center (1943–1949), he became well known for his soteriological views and his complaints about the liberalism of both Harvard University and Boston College. Feeney reacted against his perception of changes at Boston College, identifying that the Jesuits, members of his own religious order, had moved from a strict liberal arts collegiate education to one that included a broader array of disciplines, including those more focused on financial gain than faith. While such changes occurred at Jesuit institutions throughout the United States, Boston was a unique environment where Harvard University and Boston College represented two warring sides: the Protestant Yankee elite and the upwardly mobile Irish Catholics. Rather than simply a dispute over doctrine, the “Boston heresy case” reflected Feeney’s conviction that Boston College had surrendered its distinctive Catholic intellectual mission.
