Unfinished Pentecost: Vatican II and the Altered Lives of Those Who Witnessed It

By Ken Trainor

Book Overview

Unfinished Pentecost tells the story of the Second Vatican Council and its aftermath through theeyes of men and women religious who witnessed that remarkable turning point as students in Rome(1962-65) and whose subsequent lives were strongly influenced by the shock waves that continue to reverberate. In oral history style, those who viewed Vatican II up close, reflect back with a half-century's hindsight on how the experience helped shape who they are today. Because their time studying in Rome coincided with the Council, they have become known as "The Council Class." Energized and inspired by their experiences, they returned to the U.S. to begin, or continue, their ministries in a changed country during a very turbulent time. Many became disillusioned by resistance in the Church to the Council's call for reform, and a good number subsequently left active ministry to start families and pursue other careers. Those who remained active had their own struggles to contend with. The book includes a brief, user-friendly overview of the Council for those who need a refresher, then plunges into the "conversations," which give readers a vivid sense of the broad conflicts, tensions, and fault lines existing within the current Catholic Church. Those issues include celibacy, ordination of women, reform of Church governance, ecumenism, religious liberty, primacy of conscience, and the future of the Church. But it also includes stories of the personal growing pains that led to hard-won wisdom. Personalities come through, in their own voices, and the reader gets to know a number of remarkable individuals. The applications extend beyond the Catholic Church to any institution attempting to remain viable as the times around them change.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1484809297
• ISBN13: 9781484809297
• Release Date: May 2013
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 332 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"