I have been meaning to extend my thanks to those reviewers who have given endorsements for either the outside cover or website of the Ignatius Press edition of To Raise the Fallen. Most of these reviewers are from the US, so Thanksgiving Day seems like a good opportunity to extend my thanks and gratitude to them for their encouragement and kind words about the book and about Fr Doyle.
So my grateful thanks go to
Fr James Schall SJ
Fr Joseph Koterski SJ
Fr Mitch Pacwa SJ
George Weigel
Archbishop Eamon Martin, Armagh
George Marlin
Fr John S. Hogan
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, US Military Services’
You can read their kind words below.
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“Ireland was once a land of Catholic heroes. If the Emerald Isle is going to escape the secular morass into which it’s sunk — if Ireland is going to be, again, a nation of saints — witnesses to the faith who embody Catholicism’s capacity to summon forth courage and compassion are urgently needed. Those virtues were vibrantly alive in Father Willie Doyle, S.J.. His story, and his witness, should be part of any genuine revival of Irish Catholicism.”
George Weigel, Author, The Fragility of Order
“In the context of a nationalistic war that placed nation ahead of God, Church, or the dignity of unique individuals, Fr. Willie Doyle, S.J. restored the proper order. His love of Jesus Christ fired his courage to bring the needed sacraments to anyone in need. The men knew he cared for each of them, and he risked his life for any of them. An impersonal bomb was the way this good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. Anyone who reads his story of love for God’s sake will be made a better person by the experience.”
Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., TV Host, EWTN Live
“Fr. Willie Doyle, S.J., is one of the unsung heroes of the First World War. During one of the war’s most wretched battles he sacrificed his life to tend to a wounded member of his flock. His letters in To Raise the Fallen reveal he cheerfully put up with the horrors of trench warfare—the filth, the vermin, the constant enemy shelling—to bring spiritual solace to his comrades in uniform. This book provides the grounds to reopen the cause for Father Doyle’s Beatification.”
George Marlin, Author, The Sons of St. Patrick: A History of the Archbishops of New York
“A moving an account of a courageous priest who literally gave his life for his flock, being determined to minister at the front line, amidst the roar and stench of battle. His example speaks to our time about the healing presence of Christ at the margins, bringing love, hope and the consolation of faith.”
Most Reverend Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh; Primate of All Ireland
“Just the story we need right now: the short life of a witty military chaplain who devoted much of his private prayers to reparation for the sins of priests.This book contains Fr. Doyle’s letters from the front and an account of his August 1917 death as a martyr of charity while serving the men of his unit in the brutal trenches of the First World War. The section on the prayers he composed is worth the price of the book.”
Fr. Joseph Koterski, S.J., Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University
Father Willie Doyle, S.J. exemplified the best qualities of a Catholic Chaplain: total dedication to those in his care, fearlessness in the face of enemy fire, and the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. Now 101 years after his death, readers of To Raise the Fallen will enjoy learning about this man for others in the long tradition of the Society of Jesus. “
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, Archbishop of Military Services
“Though Father Doyle wished to remain hidden, when the story of his soul was revealed, devotion to him sprung up spontaneously and countless favors through his intercession revealed God’s judgement on this holy man’s life. Through his life and writings we see the power of God working to inspire us, and to bring peace and strength to those who are weary—to raise the fallen.”
Fr. John S. Hogan, EWTN Co-host, Forgotten Heritage: Europe and the Saints
“A powerful story of a great Irish Jesuit, a World War 1 chaplain, a teacher, a man of prayer and zeal who represents the best in Irish Jesuit spirituality, both generous and disciplined, full of humour and wisdom.”
Fr. James Schall, S.J., Author The Order of Things, Professor Emeritus Georgetown University
