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Catherine Collins was the belle of her upper-middle-class Catholic clique on Chicago's North Shore, whose struggles to find herself led her to a stormy career as a nun, a disastrous marriage, a stint as a Catholic revolutionary, and possibly death in Central America.Tags
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Cathy Collins, the virgin and martyr of the title, grows up Irish Catholic in Chicago. Daughter of a religion-obsessed mother and a distant father, her major stability comes from her relationship to her cousins, particularly John "Blackie" Ryan, who loves her and watches as she becomes a nun, then leaves the church to marry and then returns to be a missionary. When she is killed by reactionary militia in Latin America, her family and her childhood sweetheart Nick reflect on her life and try to figure out what they might have done to help. Nick and Blackie search out information, trying to understand what happened in the final days of Cathy's life. This is one of Greeley's early novels about Blackie Ryan and the story is fresh and show more compelling. show less
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206+ Works 15,216 Members
Roman Catholic priest Andrew M. Greeley was the author of more than 100 non-fiction works of theology, sociology, prayer, and poetry; a professor of sociology; a newspaper columnist; and a successful novelist, writing in several genres, including mystery and science fiction. He was born on February 5, 1928 and was a native of Chicago. Greeley show more studied at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and earned an AB from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in 1950, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1952, and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1954. He went on to receive a Master of Arts in 1961 and a Ph D in 1962. Greeley's fiction, which often told stories of crime and scandal in the Roman Catholic church, can be violent and lurid and are considered controversial by many Church leaders. Greeley wrote on such issues as homosexuality in the clergy, pedophilia, and papal politics, and he created the popular mystery series starring Father Blackie Ryan, as well as another featuring the character Nuala McGrail. Greeley was awarded honorary degrees from the University of Arizona, Bard College (New York State) and the National University of Ireland, Galway. In 1981, he received the F. Sadlier Dinger Award, which is presented each year by educational publisher William H. Sadlier, Inc. in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the ministry of religious education in America. Greeley died on May 29, 2013 at his Chicago home. He was 85. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Virgin and Martyr
- Original publication date
- 1985
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Statistics
- Members
- 219
- Popularity
- 148,407
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.35)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 4
