Where can I find personal accounts of Roman Catholics on how Vatican
II affected their lives and religion?

Hello po1950-ga,

As the Church recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the opening
of the Second Vatican Council a lot of Catholics have been reflecting
on the changes in the Church and what those changes meant for them
personally. Here are some links to these stories. Some are very short,
but I’ve also included reference to a couple of books. Enjoy!

czh

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0814625045/qid=1037874659/sr=2-1/002-2962622-8550469?v=glance&s=books
The Changing Face of the Priesthood: A Reflection on the Priest's
Crisis of Soul
by Donald B. Cozzens
The Changing Face of the Priesthood is a remarkable survey of the
state of American Catholic clergy today. Donald Cozzens, the
president-rector of Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of
Theology in Cleveland, combines personal reflection and analysis of
empirical data in this brief but wide-ranging book.

http://www.the-tidings.com/2002/1011/gonzalez.htm
Vatican II: 'What's going on?'
… a Latina immigrant now studying for her doctoral degree recalls what
the Council meant to her childhood parish, and her family, in nation
that had recently come under Communist control.

http://www.nccatholic.org/news.php?ArtID=127
NC Catholic -- Serving the Diocese of Raleigh
The road home: Book traces women’s journeys back to the Church 
By Dana Wind
This is a book review of the stories of 17 women who left the Church
and eventually returned.
“Despite the widely divergent paths taken by these women of the baby
boom era, the repeating theme is the age-old mantra of most apostates:
“I was raised Catholic, but…” There follows any number of reasons,
from resistance to the changes mandated by Vatican II to acoustic
guitars to intellectual hauteur.”

http://www.rpinet.com/ml/2902deroo.html
Modern Liturgy (ML) Magazine
A Pilgrim of Vatican II:ML interviews Bishop Remi J. De Roo
Bishop Remi De Roo is a pilgrim of Vatican II. “I go wherever people
are willing to hear the story,” he said recently. “As long as my
health holds up, I’ll continue telling the story because it must not
be forgotten. We’ve told our story to our children, but what about our
grandchildren? And if our grandchildren don’t hear the story, what’s
going to happen?”

http://www.madonnamagazine.com.au/articles/0211hoban.html
Madonna Magazine
CREATING SPACES OF LIGHT AND BEAUTY
“ … He tells how the changes to the liturgy which flowed from Vatican
II required significant changes to the interiors of churches. Richard
hopes that the spirit of Vatican II is reflected in the ‘new look’ of
the many churches he has reordered. He hopes the changes allow people
to participate at a more intimate level while still able to enjoy the
liturgy in the beauty, light and sound of the buildings.”

http://www.catholiccourier.com/oldotm/otm0925.html
Catholic Courier,
Not-so-ancient history
A parish youth group discovers Vatican II and its impact on Church
rituals.

http://www.catholicdigest.org/stories/200110068a.html
Catholic Digest
If It Weren’t for Vatican II: The Catholic experience, then and now
If it weren’t for Vatican II, what would the Church be like today? Two
seemingly unrelated incidents leap to mind. The first, from the ’70s,
was my young daughter’s reaction when I told her that when I was a
child we didn’t visit a church unless we wore a hat. “But that didn’t
stop us from making a visit,” I explained. “If we didn’t have a hat,
we pinned a Kleenex on our head.”

http://www.takingfive.com/liturgical_changes.htm
Taking Five – A prayer web site
Liturgical changes in priestless parishes
“ … They come. They sing. They pray. If the liturgy isn't precisely
the way it is at home, they don't criticize, but feel grateful to be a
part of it, grateful that the small group of residents sacrificed to
add on to the church for the summer visitors, who, in turn, leave what
they can in the collection box for the winter's heating bills, when
the congregation shrinks to 120 pilgrims.”

http://www.cta-usa.org/news4-00/wisdomexchange.html
Wisdom Exchange: How have you experienced the effects of Vatican II on
the Church?
For me personally, Vatican II changed my life. Ever the reformer -
some called me rebel - I found my next vocation in the married rather
than religious state. My zeal for continuing education and renewal
continues, and hopefully some growth in spirituality. Involvement in
reform groups such as CTA provides the inspiration, and strengthens my
appreciation of Vatican II. Unfortunately, I still meet with
resistance to its spirit, a resistance which seems particularly strong
these days. I have not, however, abandoned my hopes. The Spirit of God
began this work. May that force ever be with me and all the people of
God.

http://www.op.org/stlouis/html/blake5.htm
The Challenges and Turmoil of Vatican II
“…Not wishing to deal with the ferment generated among the clergy in
the United States by the changes of the Second Vatican Council, Fr.
Vincent felt God wanted him to serve God's people in a less charged
climate.”
http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/102999/102999o.htm
National Catholic Reporter, October 29, 1999
Special Report 
Generations have different views of the church
The author discusses his belief that today’s Catholics fall into three
rather distinct cohorts: pre-Vatican II, Vatican II and post-Vatican
II.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Vatican II personal stories
Vatican II personal changes

The answers were all concerned with personal stories of people
involved in Vatican II.  Some of the answers led me to more sites that
I wouldn't have thought of looking at.  I would definetly use again. 
Great service.