Career
Born in Wadena, Minnesota to Margaret (Corcoran) and Maurice Merrigan, she lived most of her life in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and later in Ojai, California. Before becoming known for her writing, Steichen was a classroom teacher and religious educator, and was engaged in the pro-life movement from its inception. From 1980 to 1986, she served as vice-president and president, successively, of the Minnesota chapter of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
In the turmoil following the Second Vatican Council, many were open to new ideas and seeking untraditional ways to live.
In Ungodly Rage, Steichen argued extremely forcefully that these views were contrary to revealed doctrine and that the dissenters were actually practicing a completely different religion from that taught by the Church. She contended that these heretical notions had been permitted to gain a foothold in American Catholic institutions by the United States hierarchy, which was unwilling or excessively slow to investigate those responsible.
The book was surprisingly successful for a conservative religious writer"s first book She became a noted figure on the lecture circuit in North America, England, Ireland, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Some people have even claimed Steichen as an influence on the increasing crackdowns under Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI in the years since the book"s publication.
Some, of a decidedly liberal bend, have claimed that Steichen"s Ungodly Rage is light on both traditional theology and feminist theory, but heavy on speculative claims regarding both.
