Collins Barracks in Dublin is currently running an exhibit about the Battle of Messiness Ridge, featuring some items owned by Fr Doyle. These items include part of his military uniform (which has been cut up over the years to provide relics), his military gloves (the right index finger also looks like it was cut to provide relics), a copy of the letter from General Hickie to Hugh Doyle testifying to …
Fr Doyle links
June 6, 2017
Last week The Irish Times published a special supplement on the First World War, and it contained 2 articles about Fr Doyle. One was by Carole Hope on aspects of Fr Doyle’s war service. Carole is the author of the excellent Worshipper and Worshipped, which is the definitive account of Fr Doyle’s military life. It also contained a short article by me, making the argument for Fr Doyle’s canonisation – …
May 25, 2017
New readers who heard about Fr Doyle for the first time after this evening’s set of readings about his life in Sallynoggin parish in Dublin may find the following resources useful in getting an overview of his life: Article in Studies magazine: Studies 2015 Newsletter from St Joseph’s Abbey in Flavigny, France: Flavigny newsletter May 2013
May 7, 2017
Monsignor Quinn Some time ago I read the Life of Father William Doyle, the Irish Jesuit-Chaplain, who was killed in the late World War. It was made up chiefly from a Diary which he kept, and which, I am sure, he never intended for eyes other than his own. What struck me most in his life was the fact that this good missionary priest had never done anything extraordinary. …
January 15, 2017
Saint Teresa of Calcutta Today is the feast of the newly canonised Saint Teresa of Calcutta, one of the most famous and popular Catholics of recent times. Saint Teresa was Albanian, but she lived in Dublin for a number of years while she was a Loreto sister. In fact, the house she lived in was in Rathfarnham, very close to the Jesuit house there where Fr Doyle had spent some …
September 5, 2016
Instead of a quote from Fr Doyle, today we present, courtesy of the Irish Messenger, a scanned copy of a booklet published in 1931 entitled “Father Willie”. It seems appropriate to look at this booklet today, the day following his anniversary. And the title of today’s post, suggesting that Fr Doyle is a “wonder worker” is not mine, but rather comes from this Jesuit pamphlet. No author is mentioned for …
August 17, 2016
One year from today will mark the centenary of Fr Doyle’s death as a “martyr of charity”. It is a significant anniversary. A number of people have suggested to me that a “pilgrimage” should be held to walk in Fr Doyle’s footsteps and to celebrate his life. What I would have in mind is something along the following lines: A visit to key sites associated with Fr Doyle, culminating in …
August 16, 2016
Fr Doyle’s anniversary is in two days time – August 16. It is an excellent time to tell people about his life and his message. I always find that people are amazed at is life and his heroism when they first encounter him – this, at least, has been my experience and the experience of many people that I know. Perhaps it would be good to take the opportunity of …
August 14, 2016
I rarely ask for prayers for myself on this site. However I am having an ongoing problem that is proving difficult to resolve in a timely manner. I would be most grateful if anyone could offer some prayers for this intention, both that the problem is resolved speedily and that I may persevere with more patience if it is not. Perhaps you may even wish to use the original private …
July 25, 2016
The President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference, in an address made on this day in 1923, had the following praise for Fr Doyle: I have been profoundly stirred in recent months by the experience of a young Roman Catholic saint, a member of the Society of Jesus, a tremendous lover of Jesus, a tremendous soul-winner, a great human and a great humorist. He had presumably been reading an early edition …
July 25, 2016