New Women of the Old Faith: Gender and American Catholicism in the Progressive Era

describes how Catholics participated in urban renewal through the construction of a meeting hall that served both church and city functions. He writes, “The [Catholic] response mirrored more powerfully than ever the close cooperation between Church and city” (p. 148). During the Great Depression, Catholics cooperated with city officials to assist those in need. During the rise of suburbia after World War II, new churches, which served as centers for community activities, were built in these burgeoning communities. In his final two chapters, Avella shows how the Church and the city partnered in meeting the needs of an expanding Latino community and fighting the growing problem of homelessness. Aptly and accurately he concludes,“The Catholic Church has played an important role in Sacramento’s evolution” (p. 277).