From his role in the devotional revolutions of the nineteenth century to tending the Irish famine migrants in the fever sheds of Toronto, Michael Power's extraordinary life provides glimpses into the role of the Church during the most important events in early Canadian history. Writing with insight and grace, Mark McGowan untangles the man from the myth. McGowan sets his account against the dramatic backdrop of pre-Confederation Canada, tracing the challenges Power faced as a young priest helping to establish and sustain the Catholic Church in the newly settled areas of the continent....

From his role in the devotional revolutions of the nineteenth century to tending the Irish famine migrants in the fever sheds of Toronto, Michael Power's extraordinary life provides glimpses into the role of the Church during the most important events in early Canadian history. Writing with insight and grace, Mark McGowan untangles the man from the myth. Setting his account against the dramatic backdrop of pre-Confederation Canada, McGowan traces the challenges Power faced as a young priest helping to establish and sustain the Catholic Church in the newly settled areas of the continent. Power...