Muldoon: A True Chicago Ghost Story

By Rocco A. Facchini

Book Overview

"Father Leo then paused with a deep breath before going on. 'There are many problems here, and some very strange things happen late at night that I just can't explain.' " Poverty. Crime. Politics.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1893121240
• ISBN13: 9781893121249
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.6" x 5.6"

Customer Reviews

Weird and wonderful

This book is a compelling look at the intersection of the everyday and the supernatural, the temporal and the eternal, and the secular and the spiritual. It is also a look at the rivalry between the immigrant and the native-born, a fierce dispute that rocked the Irish-dominated Catholic Church in Chicago at the end of the 19th century. It is a story that almost wasn't written, and, as becomes apparent from the bizarre epilogue written by the author's editor, almost wasn't published either. As other reviewers have remarked, this is an eminently readable glimpse into one of the strangest stories I've (never) read. Even (perhaps especially) lifelong Chicagoans will be surprised to read about a forgotten man, Peter J. Muldoon, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago; his beloved church, St. Charles Borromeo, at Roosevelt Rd. and Hoyne Ave.; and his restless ghost that, after Muldoon's death in 1927, protested the parish's neglect and decline and, finally, its obliteration. The author, a former priest who served as an assistant at St. Charles in the late 1950s, has obviously mulled over these events for many years. With the help of family members and friends, he has written a wonderful book and saved from oblivion a story full of meaning and power. It is a story about the Catholic mission in the world, about fidelity to that mission, and the consequences of losing sight of it. It is a terrific book, clearly written and organized, and full of the author's very engaging personality. I enjoyed every page, even the appendices.

Wow!

This is one of those books that doesn't come along very often. I could not put this book down once I started reading. Mr. Facchini is a rare kind of storyteller. Apart from the ghost which is the centerpiece of this book, I got the distinct impression that there are some invisible hands at work in this mans life. Muldoon is packed full of information of the forming of one of Americas largest cities, and the role of the Catholic church in the building of America. It was a great book cover to cover and I would recommend it to anyone who reads.

Muldoon: A Great Read

Rocco Facchini's MULDOON gives an interesting and concise history of the Catholic Church in Chicago, while accounting his eerie experiences with the ghost of Muldoon. It is an exciting tale that never failed to keep my attention. A must-read for lovers of ghost stories and local history.

I hope Muldoon reads this book

I loved the book!! Not only does it delve into the history of Chicago and why the city is what it is today, but it also includes a TRUE, chilling ghost story. I enjoyed learning about Chicago's past.....the politics, cultures, scandals and religious influences. And I enjoyed the intertwining ghost stories.....many a night I heard strange noises in my own house after reading the book earlier that night. Coincidence?

Chilling

Comprehensive research and facts made the book that much more chilling and exciting. Book is written in such a way that you have to finish it in one or two sittings...you can't put it down once you start. This book made a great halloween read! Also had some good behind the scenes insight into the politics of the catholic church in Chicago. Every Chicagoan and Rogers Park-an should read this book!