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 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.