Faith of Our Fathers: A Brief History of Catholic Traditionalism in the United States

How is it that so many centuries-old Roman Catholic practices, customs, and beliefs—especially the original Latin Mass—have survived into the third decade of the twenty-first century, despite over fifty years of official ecclesiastical disfavour and even violent suppression attempts? Why is there a resurgence of interest in and active support for so much that was supposed to be forgotten after the Second Vatican Council? In the mid-sixties, a "traditionalist movement" arose (mainly led by ordinary people, but with many like-minded clergy and monastic) that fought against the Church's auto-demolition and worked tirelessly to preserve her liturgical and theological inheritance wherever and whenever they could. The story of this determined effort needs to be told now more than ever for new “converts” to the Latin Mass and for younger generations unfamiliar with the great sacrifices of their forerunners.