Fr Doyle’s last written words

I have told you all my escapes, dearest Father, because I think what I have written will give you the same confidence which I feel, that my old arm chair up in Heaven is not ready yet, and I do not want you to be uneasy about me. I am all the better for these couple of days rest, and am quite on my fighting legs again. Leave will be possible very shortly, I think, so I shall only say au revoir in view of an early meeting. Heaps of love to every dear one. As ever, dearest Father, your loving son, Willie. 14/8/17.

COMMENT: These are probably Fr Doyle’s last written words, written 100 years ago today, just two days before his death. As ever, Fr Doyle was thinking of others, even amongst the mess and strain of the trenches. Could we honestly say that we would have a similar concern for others if we found ourselves in the same situation that Fr Doyle was in?

Today of course, is also the feast of St Maximilian Kolbe, one of the shining examples of holiness and apostolic zeal of the twentieth century. It is interesting that St Maximilian, who was so devoted to Mary, was given the grace of martyrdom on the eve of the feast of the Assumption, while Fr Doyle, who always reported receiving special graces from Mary on this particular feast, received his long desired wish for “martyrdom” immediately after this feast. Their “martyrdoms” are also quite similar. St Maximilian volunteered to take the place of a husband and father who was to be killed in the concentration camp as an act of revenge by the Nazis for the escape of a prisoner. Fr Doyle was blown up while trying to rescue some wounded soldiers. Both St Maximilian and Fr Doyle laid down their lives to save others. This is significant in terms of the changes to the laws on canonisations. I will write more about this in coming days.

Like Fr Doyle in the trenches of World War 1, and St Teresa Benedicta at Auschwitz (who we discussed a few days ago), St Maximilian’s body was entirely destroyed by the Nazis, although there are still some first class relics of St Maximilian due to a barber who cleverly kept some of his hair when it was being cut. 

We shall return to this issue of the destruction of the body of martyrs with some reflections from St Ignatius of Antioch and St Patrick on Wednesday when we remember Fr Doyle’s anniversary. In the meantime, those who want to read more about St Maximilian’s spirituality could fruitfully read some reflections from Fr John Hardon SJ here:

http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Saints/Saints_002.htm

St Maximilian Kolbe in the concentration camp starvation bunker