(Top image: Fr Philip Sainter, Ratcliffe College; Dr. Patrick Kenny, President, Father Willie Doyle Association; Mrs Sam Spillane, Chair of Governors, Ratcliffe College and Fr John Hogan, Postulator, at official opening of the building)

The Father Willie Doyle Association has warmly welcomed the decision of Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, to name their new English Centre in honour of the Servant of God, Fr. Willie Doyle.

The new building has been developed for the English Department at Ratcliffe College.  It contains 9 classrooms and will be known as the Fr. William Doyle English Centre.  Fr. Doyle was a student at Ratcliffe College from 1884 until 1890, and he is the first Old Ratcliffian to be formally proposed for sainthood.

Speaking at the official opening of the building, the President of the Association, Patrick Kenny, said: “The teenage years have a profound impact on all of us, and it is clear that Fr. Doyle’s spirit and priestly ministry were shaped by his experience at Ratcliffe.  Fr. Doyle was a prize-winning student and a very keen cricketer.  It was at Ratcliffe that his decision to become a priest matured.  The College must have had a warm place in his heart.  This is the very first building in the world to be named in Fr. Doyle’s honour, and we are sure that Fr. Doyle’s good humour, sincere holiness and selfless heroism will inspire future generations of students at Ratcliffe.”

As a sign of the Father Willie Doyle Association’s gratitude to Ratcliffe College, Fr. John Hogan, the diocesan postulator for the cause of Fr. Doyle, presented a small fragment of Fr. Doyle’s military clothing to the College.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr Jon Reddin, Headmaster of Ratcliffe College, said: “We were delighted to welcome Dr Patrick Kenny, President of the Father Willie Doyle Association and Fr. John Hogan, postulator for the canonisation of Father William Doyle, to our official blessing and opening of the new English Centre. Patrick shared with us a little about Fr. William’s life as a boy here at Ratcliffe College and about his ministry prior to and during the First World War.

We are overwhelmed to receive a small fragment of Fr. Doyle’s military clothing and will ensure this item is treasured at Ratcliffe College, inspiring many future generations for years to come.

We are incredibly proud of this stunning building and would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone involved in the project as part of our Whole School Strategic Vision.”

Remarks at opening of the Fr. William Doyle English Centre, Ratcliffe College. 

Dr Patrick Kenny, President, Father Willie Doyle Association 

 Good evening. It is a great delight to be here with you on this special occasion. 

 As you know, the Servant of God Fr William Doyle arrived here as a student in 1884 aged 11, and stayed until he reached the age of 17 in 1890 – crucial and formative years that will have an impact on the life of any boy. 

 Fr Doyle was always an avid letter writer but unfortunately, only two very short letters from his six years in Ratcliffe have survived. The first of the letters, written when he was 13, is addressed to an elder brother and it is almost entirely taken up with one of his great loves – cricket. In fact, Fr Doyle was a talented cricketer, indeed he excelled at most sports. The second letter, written a year later to his mother, is also dominated by his sporting exploits at the school, and includes the following curious observation: “We have just finished the offices for Holy Week, and I am not sorry it is over. This morning we were in church from 9.30am till 5 minutes to 11”. What a contrast with his later life when he constantly sought out opportunities to pray! 

 We learn a bit more about Fr Doyle’s time in Ratcliffe in a biography entitled Merry in God, written, anonymously, by his brother Charlie who was also a student here and also became a Jesuit priest. We learn that he was a slightly above average student but due to his hard work he regularly won prizes and medals. But he was also known for his love of fun, pranks and innocent mischief. On one occasion he convinced the Prefect to allow a massive staged battle across the slopes of a local hill near the Fosse Road, the battle being waged with improvised weapons including knotted towels and sods of clay.  

 I don’t know if there are any health and safety officers present this evening, but I am happy to report that there are no known casualties from the event.  

 Of course, there was more to Fr Doyle than sport and mischief. He was the master of ceremonies in the school chapel and a leading altar server, as well as a member of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary. His vocation to the priesthood matured while he was here; he certainly discussed the matter with Father Davis, the spiritual director of the school, and it was something of an open secret that he would become a priest. He handed his entire life, including his roguish temperament, to Jesus Christ, and was gradually transformed. Grace builds upon nature, and he channelled his abundant energy and personal charm into becoming a renowned missionary and spiritual director, and of course, a heroic military chaplain who died as a martyr of charity in WW1. That entire story is too long for this evening, but we hope to have an opportunity to return on another occasion to discuss it in more detail. 

 The teenage years have a profound impact on all of us, and it is clear that Fr Doyle’s spirit and priestly ministry were shaped by his experience in Ratcliffe. The school must have had a very warm place in his heart. 

 Ratcliffe College is the first institution in the world to name a building after Fr Doyle, and thus it now has a warm place in the heart of all of his devotees. The Father Willie Doyle Association warmly welcomes this development. The Association was founded in 2020, and is a private association of the faithful, approved by the Church. The Association is the official actor, or petitioner, for Fr Doyle’s canonisation cause, which was formally opened last November. We are the only lay association in the British Isles specifically founded to pursue, promote and fund a canonisation cause. It is a very heavy responsibility but one that we think is well worth the effort. With his good humour, sincere holiness and selfless heroism, Fr Doyle is an attractive role model who inspires many, even those who are perhaps somewhat cynical about Catholicism and the priesthood. We hope, and believe, that Fr Doyle’s story will inspire and encourage the students in Ratcliffe, even innocent mischief makers like the young William Doyle.  

 As a sign of our gratitude to Ratcliffe College, Fr John Hogan, the diocesan postulator for Fr Doyle’s cause, will now present a special and rare gift to the College – a small piece of Fr Doyle’s military clothing as a special memento of his life.