There Were Also Many Women There: Lay Women in the Liturgical Movement in the United States, 1926–59 by Katharine E. Harmon (review)
- There Were Also Many Women There: Lay Women in the Liturgical Movement in the United States, 1926–59 by Katharine E. Harmon
Katharine Harmon’s stated goal is to provide a new resource for studying the Liturgical Movement in the United States that includes laywomen whose roles were integral, and not marginal, to its narrative. Indeed, she has succeeded in doing this very well. The book, a reworking of her doctoral dissertation, is divided into five chapters and a conclusion. The bibliography has four sections: (1) manuscript collections, (2) published sources, (3) related works for context, and (4) supplementary (secondary) materials. Footnotes are extensive and include both sources and commentary. [End Page 62]
Chapter one focuses on the liturgical movement in Europe (c. 1870–1926). Harmon highlights Aemiliana Löhr (1870–1926), a Benedictine nun from the Abbey of the Holy Cross at Herstelle in Germany. Löhr’s work was influential in developing a theology of liturgical worship.
Chapter two introduces two American laywomen: Justine Bayard Ward (1879–1975) and Ellen Gates Starr (1859–1940). Both became involved in liturgical change because of their interest in social change. As a musician who studied at Solesmes, Ward focused on the promotion of chant. Starr, on the other hand, was a social worker and artisan. Her primary interest was praying the Breviary and studying the psalms. Both women wrote for Orate Fratres (the initial name of the journal Worship published in Collegeville, MN) and were good friends of its first editor, Virgil Michel, OSB.
The third chapter explores the relationship between the lay apostolate and the liturgical movement. Harmon presents several women here, including Maisie Ward (of Sheed and Ward), Sara B. O’Neill (of St. Benet’s Library and Bookstore), Nina Polcyn Moore, Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement, and Catherine de Hueck Doherty. Harmon deftly weaves stories of these women’s involvement with the liturgical movement, social concerns, and Orate Fratres.
Chapter four addresses the integration of liturgical prayer and living the Christian life in the world. The work, prayer, and art of Ade Bethune (1914–2002) are the centerpiece, but other women and men are knit into the story. Bethune sought to unite work, art, and lifestyle with a special focus on Catholic agrarianism.
The fifth chapter focuses on the home and how women made connections between liturgy, the home, and the liturgical apostolate. Harmon highlights three of the most influential women of this period: Therese Mueller (1905–2002), Mary Perkins Ryan (1912–1993), and Florence Berger (1905–1983). All three participated in the National Liturgical Weeks, contributed to Orate Fratres, and lectured extensively. Their emphasis was clearly on the impact of theology and liturgy on practical experience. The concluding chapter looks to the [End Page 63] future of laywomen and their involvement in and influence on the liturgical movement by addressing questions of gender and the future of the lay liturgical apostolate.
Harmon is very good at synthesizing a great deal of material. She brings out commonalities and patterns without manipulating her materials. Her narrative clearly reveals how these women worked hand in hand with Orate Fratres and the men who were part of the early days of this movement. It is important that their story has been told. This book is a significant addition to literature on the history of the early American liturgical movement. By raising up the many women who studied, wrote, and labored within this important movement, Harmon helps fill important gaps and makes many interesting connections. Her style is engaging yet always rigorously precise in its research, writing, and conclusions.
