Fire Upon the Earth: The Life and Times of Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming, OSF

A.J. Pell is rector of Christ Church in Hope, B.C., editor of the
Canadian Evangelical Review, and an instructor of Liturgy, Anglican
Studies Programme at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C.

History is filled with interesting characters who through vision and
determination achieved results where others might have fallen far short.
Bishop Fleming (1792–1850), the first bishop of the newly formed (in
1847) diocese of Newfoundland, was one such person. Born in Waterford,
Ireland, he came to Newfoundland as a young priest in 1822 and was made
Apostolic Vicar (bishop, but with no formal diocese) in 1830. Darcy’s
book concentrates on his life from 1830 to 1850.

Taking the form of a 19th-century thriller, Fire Upon the Earth is a
tale of crisis after crisis. Each of the 32 short chapters recounts how
Fleming met and overcame some challenge that arose. Some were political,
part of a long battle for government recognition of the Roman Catholic
Church. Some were ecclesial, detailing infighting among the
predominantly Irish Catholics. Some involved weather and nature, as
Fleming moved around among his far-flung flock on foot and in small
boats. His greatest battle and achievement was the building of the
massive stone Basilica of St. John the Baptist as the cathedral for his
young diocese. It was, at the time, the largest church structure in
North America.

That Fleming was a strong and determined person comes through clearly,
but Darcy’s wordiness and archaic writing style make reading this book
more of a chore than is necessary. However, a patient reader will learn
much about a key player in a formative era of Newfoundland.