The long and complex history of the Eastern American Catholic Churches, in their many ethnic varieties, has been difficult to understand. This clearly-written, engaging book changes all that. The author, Fr. Fred Saato, examines the long and often difficult history of the Eastern Catholics, e.g., Melkites, Maronites, Ruthenians, Armenians, Ukrainians, and their relationship, often tenuous, with Rome. The fascinating tale of the movement of these Churches from their embattled homelands to "separate-church-and-state" United States poses serious concerns for the languages, cultures, and traditions of these ancient faiths. At the same time, the flowering of their churches in an English-speaking context has caused many of these Eastern Churches to receive a new Pentecost, examined in this text. Unlike the other pamphlets and booklets on the Eastern Churches that generally speak only of the differences/likenesses between East and West, this text acts as pastoral aid for both the Western Catholic who wants to better understand the Churches of the East, and the Eastern Catholic American who may have lost touch with the singular attributes of their Eastern pedigree. +
