Catholic Watershed by Cahill, Michael P - 2014

This book is about the Chicago ordination class of 1969 and how they helped changed the Church. The author interviewed six members of this class (Michael Ahlstrom, Larry Duris, Bob Heidenreich, Tom Libera, Ed Upton, and Bill Zavaski), personally. Each subject explained his background in the seminary and his pastoral work, in local parishes. In the ordination class, there were originally 35 men; after several deaths and occupational shifts, there remain nineteen who are still officially listed as active. The six interviewed, with perhaps another four or five, have maintained long-term relationships with each other up to the present day. They have shared memories and ongoing reflections, represented in this book.

These six men, each in his own way, did his best to implement the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, as each understood that teaching. This book abounds in tales of personal experiences. By reading these tales, you can get a penetrating glimpse into the changing Church, in the 1960s and 1970s, a time of considerable conflict and growth.

The author, Michael P. Cahill, has a Ph.D. in history, from the University of Chicago. He has taught church history at Mundelein Seminary for many years. He has also served as chair of the Pastoral Council of the Chicago Archdiocese. He belongs to Our Lady of Mery Parish in the city of Chicago.