Near the beginning, there is this wonderful anecdote:
In the early 1970s a friend of mine attended Mass in one of Philadelphia's grand old parishes, an immense pile of stone built to last for eternity. In the same pew, right next to him, was an elderly lady who energetically fingered her rosary beads all during Mass. She stood, sat, and knelt with everyone else, but her thoughts seemed to be far removed from the activity around her.
The time came for the Handshake of Peace, one of those "new things" which made everyone feel a bit silly. My friend turned to the elderly lady at this point and, holding out his hand in friendship, said, "May the peace of the Lord be with you." The old lady scowled. She looked at the proffered hand as if it were diseased. "I don't believe in that shit," she replied and, without missing a breath, went back to the quiet mumbling of her rosary.