Dissertation Abstracts

Institution	Title	Page
Aquinas Institute of Theology	Are you talking to me? A study of young listeners' connection with Catholic Sunday preaching	85
Boston University	The church and the seer: Veronica Lueken, the Bayside movement, and the Roman Catholic hierarchy	85
Brandeis University	William James Macneven and the Rise of American Democracy	86
Liberty University	Defined by what we are not: The role of anti-Catholicism in the formation of early American identity	87
Loyola University (Chicago)	Redefining sisterhood: The new nuns, laywomen and Catholic feminist activism, 1953-1992	88
Marquette University	Andrew G. Grutka, first Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana (1957 to 1984): "Where There is Charity, There is God"	88
Marquette University	Irish-American identity, memory, and Americanism during the eras of the Civil War and First World War	89

We include here selected dissertation abstracts in the fields of U.S. Catholic history, sociology, theology, architecture, art, cinema, music, popular movements, and related areas that we believe our readers will find to be of particular interest. Abstracts are reprinted as they appear in Proquest, and are unedited by American Catholic Studies. Those interested in submitting an abstract for possible publication in the dissertation section of American Catholic Studies should do so electronically to americancatholicstudies@villanova.edu in Microsoft Word format.

Aquinas Institute Of Theology

Bellinger, Karla. Are you talking to me? A study of young listeners' connection with Catholic Sunday preaching, Ph.D. diss., Aquinas Institute of Theology, 2012. In ProQuest Dissertations & Theses [database online]; publication number 3503801, accessed July 11, 2012.

Stories abound. Studies do not. Discussion about the state of Catholic Sunday preaching is largely anecdotal. This thesis is founded on empirical research, asking, “What makes for effective connection with young people?” and “How can we apply that knowledge to improve liturgical preaching to that population?”

Five hundred and sixty-one high school students from six regions of the country described their connection with Catholic preaching. In addition, a review of existing homiletic listener studies, sociological research about the faith life of youth, church documents, and consumer behavior research enriched the understanding of what it means for a message to connect. Focus groups, clergy interviews, and observational research further developed that knowledge.

The role of Catholic Sunday preaching in the discipling of youth was not mentioned in the literature. Yet 55% of those regularly attending Mass were able to describe an experience of faith growth as a result of preaching within the past year. Their qualitative responses suggested that connection is open to any adult who is willing to take time and express interest in them. As spheres of influence grow closer to home, this opens tremendous potential for the influence of a connected and caring local preacher. While Mass attendees rated the person of their preacher highly, they suggested improvements for his Sunday preaching.

Surprisingly, there was little statistical relationship between a youth’s faith life and his or her evaluation of the homily. Nor was there correlation found between the personal qualities of the preacher and his preaching skill. Enhanced spiritual formation therefore will not result in improved preaching. Skill based growth in homiletic competence is needed. Consequently, five assessment tools were developed to measure growth within a clergy-friendly and scalable diocesan preaching improvement process. Parish-centered preaching resources complete the work.

Boston University

Laycock, Joseph Peter. The church and the seer: Veronica Lueken, the Bayside movement, and the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Ph.D. diss., Boston University, 2012. In ProQuest Dissertations & Theses [database online]; publication number 3500408, accessed July 11, 2012.

The traditionalist Marian movement known as “the Baysiders” began in 1968, when Veronica Lueken, a Catholic housewife from Bayside, Queens, first claimed she was receiving messages from heaven. Thousands flocked to her church to see “the seer of Bayside.” Lueken’s messages from Mary and other heavenly beings were apocalyptic and described a conspiracy within the Vatican. Church authorities censured Lueken’s movement and eventually obtained an injunction banning her vigils from Bayside. However, she continued to appeal to traditionalist Catholics and gave regular prophecies until her death in 1995. Her “Bayside Prophecies” spread across the United States and throughout the...