Over the last several weeks of this past summer I found myself mulling over three dates: 1855, 1949, and 2005. The special pertinence of these three years is completely personal. They have no particular relevance to others. All three of these dates are connected with Ireland, and their combination is significant only for my own family history. But while reflecting on recollections associated with those years, I began to formulate some insights about Catholicism that I believe are pertinent to understanding both the life of faith and cultural influences on present-day religious practice.