Fr Doyle was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery at the Battle of the Somme As we have been reflecting on Fr Doyle’s heroic activities in the trenches and on the battlefield over the past few weeks, we could form the impression that he was some form of clerical Rambo, a superhero who never felt fear and who was thrilled with danger and with war. If we believed this, …
WWI
August 18, 2010
Remembering Fr Doyle in Dalkey Yesterday I visited the Church of the Assumption in Dalkey, just a few minutes from where Fr Doyle grew up. He used to attend Mass in this Church with his family, and if I am not mistaken, he used to occasionally play the organ here. I was delighted to see that Fr Doyle is still remembered here: a special plaque commemorating Fr Doyle was placed …
August 17, 2010
3 March 1873 – 16 August 1917 My Martyrdom for Mary’s Sake. Darling Mother Mary, in preparation for the glorious martyrdom which I feel assured thou art going to obtain for me, I, thy most unworthy child, on this the first day of thy month, solemnly commence my life of slow martyrdom by earnest hard work and constant self-denial. With my blood I promise thee to keep this resolution, …
August 16, 2010
The Assumption by Murillo August 15. The feast of the Assumption of Our Lady This was an important feast for Fr Doyle. He made his religious vows on this feast in 1893, and always felt that that Our Lady obtained special graces for him on this day. Here is his account of Mary’s protection on August 15th, 1916 (a year before his death) during one German shell attack: Knowing there …
August 15, 2010
Fr Doyle's last written words The picture above is a copy of the last written words (that we know of) from Fr Doyle. They were written 93 years ago today. They read as follows: 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 …
August 13, 2010
Unexploded shells from World War 1 Today we have the last of Fr Doyle’s narratives from his letters home to his father, less than a week before his death. In this entry in his letter we see his close brush with death in the form of a shell landing very close to him Close beside us I had found the remains of a dug-out which had been blown in the …
August 10, 2010
Ecce Home: Behold the Man We return today to Fr Doyle’s narrative, and get some glimpse of the horror of war, and the comfort that the presence of a priest can bring to the dying. Of particular note is his reference to Pontius Pilate presenting Jesus to the crowd after the scourging with the words: “Ecce homo” (Behold the Man)… A sad morning as casualties were heavy and many men …
August 10, 2010
Continuing our narrative today, it is hard not to be struck by the extraordinary good humour of Fr Doyle. The “cathedral” to which he refers was, of course, just another dug out or shell hole somewhere in a battlefield. His final comment about being glad not to be asked to say the rosary with bombs falling around him is classic Irish wit. It is important to remember that these letters …
August 8, 2010
A German gas attack seen from the air Today’s account gives us some small insight into the horrors of the war, especially when it involved the use of poisoned gas. Of note also is the way in which Fr Doyle accepts spending extra days at the front to cover for a priest who never showed up to relieve him. He doesn’t grumble or complain, and in fact is glad he …
August 7, 2010
World War 1 aid station The events of August 6 1917 in Fr Doyle’s own words. In particular today we note Fr Doyle’s devotion to the Mass. The following morning, though the Colonel and other officers pressed me very much to remain with them on the ground that I would be more comfortable, I felt I could do better work at the advanced dressing-station, or rather aid-post, and went and …
August 6, 2010