The Premier See: A History of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, 1789-1989

This remarkable book about the start and progress of the first Roman Catholic Diocese in the USA is worth buying and reading. It provides wonderful insights into the way the Catholic Church digs in where it was rejected before, and builds a powerful foundation for future growth.Prior to the 1776 Revolutionary War, the Catholic Church was literally outlawed in the then 13 British colonies of North America. After the war was won by the revolutionaries, the Roman Church immediately took steps to set up a branch of its organization in the newly established USA. Baltimore, Maryland was chosen as the headquarters site, and a former Jesuit priest from a prominent Maryland family was consecrated the first Catholic bishop in the USA. The Catholic Church divides the world up into geographical areas called "dioceses," or "sees," for short. Thus, the new (in 1787) Catholic diocese in the USA (in Baltimore) was (and is) the "Premier See" of the Roman Catholic Church in America.This book, written by a Catholic Religious Brother named Thomas Spalding (a history professor from Spalding University in Kentucky), details the establishment and growth of the Premier See, the Catholic diocese (later archdiocese) headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.The book is well written, and very interesting. Brother Spalding does not shrink from offering controversial material, even reports of criticism of various bishops and archbishops who led the Premier See in Baltimore over its 200 plus year history.Any student of the Catholic Church, friend or foe, would do well to read this book. It tells the tale of a complicated and powerful religious organization in a very readable, informative way.