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 was appointed first bishop of Toronto in 1841 and became an ardent proponent of the Ultramontane reforms and disciplines that were to revitalize the Roman Catholic Church. McGowan explores the way in which Power established frameworks for Catholic institutions, schools, and religious life that are still relevant to English Canada today.
