This book is not merely the biography of a man, it is the biography of an era. It recounts a time of turmoil and change that continues to shape the Church even as the life-work of Father Diekmann continues to shape the thought of his colleagues and students.

Through his story, this work captures the history and the spirit of the liturgical movement in the U.S. and attempts to recover the vision of liturgy articulated at Vatican II. It also captures the breadth of this man's interests and his roles: scholar, teacher, retreat master, world traveler, ecumenist, social activist, peritus at the Council, storyteller, and, first of all, monk.