The horse laid back his ears and rolled his eyes until the whites showed. He didn't like crossing the Delaware in a small boat but it was necessary since his rider, Father Farmer, wanted to ride up through New Jersey.

Many Catholics lived in the colony, scattered from the glass works in the southern part to the iron mines in the north. At that time there was an edict in New Jersey, although it was seldom enforced, which forbade a priest to enter its borders. But, aware that his people longed for his coming, Father Farmer set out from St. Joseph's Church in Philadelphia to visit Jerseymen, some of whom had not seen a priest in years. The . . .

From the dust jacket of the St. Anthony Guild Press edition

This true story of a priest in the American colonial period will inspire young readers to learn more about our religious and patriotic roots. While stationed in Pennsylvania, Father Farmer is assigned to meet the needs of the Catholics in the colony of New Jersey, but there is one problem—Catholic priests are not appreciated at all in the New Jersey colony. He goes in plain clothes about the countryside for twenty-one years, never failing to reveal himself as a priest whenever needed. And there is a lot of need, as Father Farmer encounters one adventure after another in his travels. His life is a testament to the living of hte faith in word and deed, and that the Christian religion is one of love and service to others.

From the Hillside Education edition