THE CATHOLIC PARADOX

IN AMERICA THE POPE WILL DISCOVER A MYSTERY OF FAITH: A FLOCK BOTH REBELLIOUS AND INTENSELY LOYAL

It is Saturday morning. a few parishioners of bustling and growing St. Joseph Catholic Church in suburban Baltimore, Maryland, gather in a member's living room to discuss their Roman Catholic faith. The people from St. Joe's, a parish of 10,000, speak reverentially about Pope John Paul II. He is a familiar figure to them, and at last they may be able to catch a glimpse of him in person. A long and rich history hovers in the background. Founded as a colonial refuge for English Catholics in 1634, Maryland later served as headquarters of the first diocese in the new U.S....

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