Governing Charities: Church and State in Toronto's Catholic Archdiocese, 1850–1950

Susan McKnight is an administrator of the Courts Technology Integrated Justice Project at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

In this book, Paula Maurutto sets out “to highlight significant
trends, techniques, and devices that affected the development and
organization of Catholic charities.” She also offers an examination of
the role of other charitable organizations and the rise of social work
as a professional discipline in Ontario. Her approach throughout is
balanced and unbiased.

Maurutto focuses attention on the evolution of governance techniques
and the interesting relationship that developed between the provincial
government and the various organizations run under the auspices of the
Catholic Church. During the period under study, the Catholic Church was
at its most vibrant and socially active, helping people in both
financial and moral need. The Catholic charities were a useful ally for
the government during its fight against the “Red Menace.” The
governance model that was chosen enabled the Catholic Church not only to
supply valuable information to the social services branch of the
government but also to force changes to social policy.

Through her discussions of the development of Catholic welfare,
Maurutto delivers a clear history of the emergence of professional
social workers in Ontario specifically and North America as a whole. The
development of social casework is covered in detail, with samples of
both monthly reports and casework assessment included in the appendixes.
This grounding in scientific assessment has been one of the reasons
Catholic charities have been successful where other charitable
organizations have failed to survive.

Maurutto’s book, which includes tables and extensive notes, would be
a valuable resource for those interested in the development of social
work in Ontario, whether it relates to Catholic agencies, Protestant
agencies, or non-denominational agencies.