By cutting a piece out of the side of the trench I was just able to stand in front of my tiny altar, a biscuit box supported on two German bayonets. God’s angels, no doubt, were hovering overhead, but so were the shells, hundreds of them, and I was a little afraid that when the earth shook with the crash of the guns, the chalice might be overturned. Round about …
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September 9, 2023
St. Peter Claver was one of those generous heroic souls whom God sends upon this earth to serve as a stimulus to our zeal, to urge us on to dare and do great things for His glory. Alone he stood upon the beach of that reeking haunt of sin, Cartagena, and saw the galley-ship vomit forth its human living burden of slaves. He saw these poor wretches dazed with their …
September 9, 2023
Don’t you know it is our Lady’s feast, and Mary had her mantle spread over us to save us from all harm? COMMENT: Today is traditionally celebrated as the birthday of Mary. Fr Doyle wasn’t speaking of the feast of the birth of Mary when he made the above comment to a soldier, but the sentiment is just as true on this day, and indeed, on every day of the year. …
September 8, 2023
To be indifferent does not mean to desire things which are hard to nature, but a readiness and determination to embrace them when once the will of God is known. In this sense I think I am indifferent about going to the Congo. But I must force myself to be willing to accept the way of life which God seems to be leading me to and wants me to adopt. …
September 7, 2023
How little I think of committing venial sin, and how soon I forget I have done so! Yet God hates nothing more than even the shadow of sin, nothing does more harm to my spiritual progress and hinders any real advance in holiness. My God, give me an intense hatred and dread and horror of the smallest sin. I want to please You and love You and serve You as …
September 6, 2023
Today is the feast of 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 where Fr Willie had once lived. The young St Teresa presumably learned about Fr …
September 5, 2023
We continue the narrative from O’Rahilly’s biography which recounts the events of September 5, 1916. Please note: this excerpt reveals the true horror of war, and those who are a bit squeamish may prefer to skip the first couple of paragraphs. At last came the expected order to advance at once and hold the front line, the part assigned being Leuze Wood, the scene of much desperate fighting. Fr. Doyle …
September 5, 2023
Today we continue the narrative and consider the events of September 4, 1916. Next morning there was a short march over the brow of a hill and down into a valley still nearer to the front line. It was a great change from the trench life of the past six months, since at Loos for days one never saw a soul overground and all guns were carefully hidden But here …
September 4, 2023
The above image was published in an Irish newspaper at the end of 1916. The priest is unidentified, but we can well imagine Fr Willie in this situation. The picture represents a scene from 2nd September 1916. Fr Doyle and his men had to suddenly march to the front one night in September 1916 alright, but it was on the evening of the 3rd and not of the 2nd. Before …
September 3, 2023
The following praise for Fr Willie appeared in the Glasgow Weekly News on 1 September 1917. It was written by a Belfast Orangeman. Given the source, this was high praise indeed! Fr Doyle’s attractive spirit and his care for others crossed all boundaries and social classes. Given his care for others, and their reverence for him, it can truly be said that Fr Doyle is a role model of ecumenism. …
September 2, 2023