The capital of Massachusetts was once synonymous with American Catholicism. That all changed with the sex-abuse crisis when disillusioned Catholics stayed away from Mass, outraged by scandal and cover-up. Now, it seems, the Church has undergone a remarkable renaissance in the city Long-time Vatican correspondent John L.?Allen joined the staff of The Boston Globe this week. He told me the newspaper’s new owner had “commissioned a study of how the Globe could excel. Out of that process came the conclusion that there were areas where it could make a mark and the Catholic Church was one of those areas.” In addition to covering the Church, Allen will explore setting up a free-standing website, a US version of Vatican Insider. The Globe’s move will come as a surprise t