Riforgiato, Leonard F.
The late Dr. Leonard F. Riforgiato earned his Ph.D. in History and Religious Studies from Pennsylvania State University. He was a well-respected faculty member at Pennsylvania State University at Shenango Valley, being named Shenango Valley Campus “Teacher of the Year” in 1984. His previous publications include Missionary of Moderation: Henry Melchior Muhlenberg and the Lutheran Church in English America (Bucknell University Press).
2006 0-7734-5943-XThis excellent book is a biography of John Timon (1797-1867), the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York. Beginning with the formative period of his youth, as well as his years as a member of the Vincentian order, this book gives a detailed account of Timon’s leadership in Buffalo. While Timon’s many contributions in the areas of education and social services are documented, this study also deals at length with his involvement in issues of great significance for the larger Catholic community in the United States, in particular, trusteeism and the issue of Catholic assimilation into American society. This monograph is the first historical study of the founding bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Western New York. The author has studied all the available sources and provides a reliable account of both the religious and the social problems of the Buffalo diocese during its first fifty years. This study will be of interest to scholars in American social and religious history. It is an essential resource for all research and Catholic libraries.
Price: $49.95