In the Richness of the Earth: A History of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 1843-1958. By Steven M. Avella. (Milwaukee: Marquette University Press. 2002. Pp. xiv, 799. $45.00 paperback.)
In the Richness of the Earth by Steven M. Avella is, in his words, "in many cases, boilerplate, a first draft, a gathering of sources and episodes," but this first effort to write a comprehensive history is much more. While focusing primarily on internal Catholic life, Avella also elucidates its dynamic interaction with the larger economic, social and political forces of Wisconsin and those of the universal Church. Mandated by the Archbishop of Milwaukee to write an "inclusive "history, Avella …