Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-294) and index.

Tejano Catholicism and Houston's Mexican American community -- Ethno-Catholicism : empowerment and way of life -- The poor Mexican : church perceptions of Texas Mexicans -- Answering the call of the people : patterns of institutional growth -- In their own way : parish funding and ethnic identity -- The church in the barrio : the evolution of Catholic social action -- Faith and justice : the church and the Chicano movement.

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In a story that spans from the early 20th century to the 1970s, Trevino discusses how an intertwining of ethnic identity and Catholic faith equipped Mexican Americans in Houston to overcome adversity and find a place for themselves in the Bayou City. He explores Mexican American Catholic life from the most private and mundane, such as home altar worship and everyday speech and behavior, to the most public and dramatic, such as neighborhood processions and civil rights protest marches.