Adapting in Eden: Oregon's Catholic Minority, 1838-1986 (review)

Far to the west of the original Eden, another land of unspoiled beauty and unshackled freedom arose that became known as Oregon. Adaptation in the first Eden resulted in sin and banishment; succeeding adaptations in the history of the Catholic Church of Oregon have attempted to advance the lot of humanity, to make the Pacific Northwest truly a second Eden, with supernatural beauty comparable to its natural splendor. Nothing is accomplished without a price, and the history of Oregon's Catholic minority reflects a story of passion, prejudice, and persecution as the price. From the earliest days of the new Catholic presence in the Oregon territory, with its interdenominational competition, to the rise of fashionable prejudice promoted by the KKK, down to the present challenges of living in the most highly secularized society of the United States, the authors fearlessly recount everything. Patricia Brandt and Lillian A. Pereyra's book, Adapting in Eden: Oregon's Catholic Minority, 1838-1986, relates the story of the Catholic Church in Oregon with pride and honesty.

Although the book is small in size, it is grand in stature. The writing is thoughtful and assists the reader with entering into each succeeding era with its concurrent challenges and triumphs. It credibly presents a sophisticated rendering of Oregon Catholic Church history organized around the administrations of Oregon's Catholic bishops. It presents well-realized views of the various bishops, their times and, most importantly, how the differing characters and interests of the bishops worked to shape the Church's presence during difficult times confronting complex issues. However, the limited size of this publication creates its own difficulties. If it had one drawback, it would be that the book does not delve deeply enough into the Church's life beyond challenges at the episcopal level of things. Thus, the entire enterprise of broadening involvement brought about by the reforms of the Second Vatican Council to include Religious and laity in the active life of the Church seems a remote echo, given this limited perspective. Nevertheless, it is a fine introduction and a good beginning for anyone interested in this area of study.

Harking back to Clarence B. Bagley's 1932 edition of Early Catholic Missions in Old Oregon, it succeeds at relating a heroic and tumultuous history that is readily accessible to the popular reader. For the professional historian or Pacific Northwest enthusiast, it would be unfair to compare it to the extensively detailed work of Wilfred P. Schoenberg's A History of the Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest. Nevertheless, it is one of the most finely researched and expertly documented histories of this type published in recent memory. Through extensive references, bibliography, and index it offers ready access to the location of original sources for those interested in the hot pursuit of information. Thus, it is both a good read and an excellent resource for the much-understudied area of Roman Catholic Church history of the second archiepiscopal see of the United States.