{"product_id":"a-church-in-the-valley-andrew-miller-9798318837982","title":"A Church in the Valley: Saint Thomas the Apostle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThree centuries of faith, born in a room at a paper mill.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou know there are stories hidden in the churches you pass every day.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStories of ordinary people whose courage built something extraordinary, something lasting. But those stories rarely get told with the depth and context they deserve. If you have ever wondered how a tiny community of believers could survive centuries of hardship, growth, and transformation, \u003cem\u003eA Church in the Valley: Saint Thomas the Apostle\u003c\/em\u003e is the history you have been looking for.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1729, a small group of Catholics gathered for Mass in the home of Thomas and Elizabeth Willcox, who ran a paper mill in rural Pennsylvania. There were only about forty Catholics in the entire colony. Itinerant Jesuit priests traveled dangerous roads from Maryland to minister to them. From that fragile beginning, Saint Thomas the Apostle grew into the oldest Roman Catholic presence in what is now Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a parish of thousands with a vibrant spiritual life spanning three centuries. Andrew Miller traces that remarkable journey, connecting the parish's story to the larger currents of European, American, and Pennsylvania history. This is not a book of theology or dogma. It is a professional, fact-based history of a community defined by perseverance and devotion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInside these pages, you will discover: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- How a handful of colonial-era Catholics kept the faith alive with prayer books and dedication when priests could visit only sporadically\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- The people, pastors, and pivotal moments that shaped Saint Thomas from a rural mission into a thriving modern parish\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e- How local, national, and world events intersected with the life of one small church in a Pennsylvania valley\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Andrew Miller\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798318837982\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Palmetto Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/14\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 182\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.10lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d","brand":"Andrew Miller","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48852996391167,"sku":"9798318837982","price":30.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-church-in-the-valley-andrew-miller-9798318837982","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}