The Grace of Everyday Saints: How a Band of Believers Lost Their Church and Found Their Faith

In this David versus Goliath narrative, award-winning San Francisco Chronicle reporter Julian Guthrie tells the story of a small group of everyday Catholics who dared%E2%80%94for more than a decade%E2%80%94to challenge the official Roman Catholic hierarchy's decision to close their historic parish church, St. Brigid, in San Francisco. The diocese insisted the closure was a response to the expense of repairs to an aging church and declining membership. But as parishioners dug deeper, they gradually discovered a darker set of motives. Describing machinations going all the way to the top tiers of the Vatican, Guthrie suggests that St. Brigid, sitting on a valuable piece of San Francisco real estate and with $700,000 in cash in the bank, was targeted for liquidation to pay for the hidden crimes of priests. A gripping story with a compelling if somewhat complicated cast of characters, this book paints lay Catholics as heroes%E2%80%94and is unlikely to be popular with the Catholic hierarchy. (Aug.)