Fr. William Doyle: Prayer for Priests

PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

by Fr William Doyle

O my God, pour out in abundance Thy spirit of sacrifice upon Thy priests.

It is both their glory and their duty to become victims,

to be burnt up for souls,

to live without ordinary joys,

to be often the objects of distrust, injustice, and persecution.
The words they say every day at the altar,

"This is my Body, this is my Blood,"

grant them to apply to themselves:

"I am no longer myself,

I am Jesus, Jesus crucified.

I am, like the bread and wine,

a substance no longer itself,

but by consecration another."

O my God, I burn with desire for the sanctification of Thy priests.

I wish all the priestly hands which touch Thee

were hands whose touch is gentle and pleasing to Thee,

that all the mouths uttering such sublime words at the altar

should never descend to speaking trivialities.

Let priests in all their person stay at the level of their lofty functions,

let every man find them simple and great,

like the Holy Eucharist,

accessible to all yet above the rest of men.

O my God, grant them to carry with them from the Mass of today,
a thirst for the Mass of tomorrow,

and grant them, ladened themselves with gifts,

to share these abundantly with their fellow men.

Amen.

The above prayer and much more about Fr. Doyle found here.

Related posts-- Fr. William Doyle:Victim of Reparation for Sins of Priests

Fr. William Doyle: Eucharistic Quotes

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. Peter Whelan: The Angel of Andersonville

Fr. Peter Whelan--a Confederate chaplain who compassionately ministered to both Confederate and Union troops:

... in mid-June of 1864, having been asked to help out at Andersonville's POW camp for captured Union soldiers, Fr. Whelan was horrified to find 25,000 in a stockade built for 10,000.

Daily Whelan remained at Andersonville stockade, from dawn to dusk, hearing confessions, comforting the sick, and ministering to the dying. When a lung ailment, probably tuberculosis contracted from the vermin-covered prisoners, finally forced Whelan to leave, he spent all his own money and borrowed more to buy bread for the starving Union POWs.

Little wonder then that those Union POWs who survived never forgot the Confederate chaplain in the thread-bare and patched cassock who made the Gospel teaching come alive and real because he lived it in front of their eyes during those nightmare days of death and disease. His own health undermined by his POW chaplaincy experiences, North and South, Father Peter died in 1871.

Pvt. Henry M. Davidson, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, writing home while at Andersonville, summed up the feelings of his fellow POWs about Whalen:

"By coming here he exposed himself to great danger of infection... His services were sought by all, for, in his kind and sympathizing looks, his meek but earnest appearance, the despairing prisoners read that all humanity had not forsaken mankind."

~ Source for above information and for more about Fr. Whelan, click here. ~

This is a trailer for the documentary "Fighting the Good Fight: The Father Peter Whelan Story." This inspirational, one-hour DVD can be purchased at: www.deepwaterproductions.org. Known as "The Angel of Andersonville," Fr. Whelan was the only chaplain to remain for any length of time ministering to the more than 45,000 Union POW's.

His story is not very well known, and yet, in his lifetime he touched thousands, which is highlighted by the fact that his funeral in 1871 was the largest that the city of Savannah had seen up to that time. His work included missionary duties in North Carolina, the pastorate of Georgias first Catholic parish, and on two occasions served as administrator of the diocese of Savannah. Father Whelans most noteworthy contributions were the years spent serving as chaplain to confederate troops at Fort Pulaski near Savannah at the beginning of the Civil War. Present during the bombardment and capture of Fort Pulaski by Federal forces, he volunteered to remain with the troops during their imprisonment in New York. Later he volunteered to minister to the Union prisoners-of-war held at the infamous Andersonville prison camp in West Georgia. Known by survivors as the Angel of Andersonville, he was the only minister willing to serve within this prison that witnessed the death of 13,000 men in fourteen months. Because he was a man willing to rise above the political, social, racial and religious barriers of his day in order to preserve the dignity of each human person, he is truly a man for all seasons, and his story one that needs to be told.

Research for this film comes from the work of the late historian, Rev. Peter J. Meaney, O.S.B., entitled, The Prison Ministry of Father Peter Whelan, Georgia Priest and Confederate Chaplain, an article from the Georgia Historical Quarterly, produced by the Georgia Historical Society. Permission was granted by Rev. Meaney for use of his research to create this film. The film also includes interviews from several historians and authorities on related subjects from the College of Charleston, Andersonville National Historic Site, the Andersonville Guild and Fort Pulaski National Monument.

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

A New Blog: Remembering Fr. William Doyle, S.J.

The Moment of Benediction:

"The priest turns and raises aloft the Sacred Host. In loving adoration, in reverent awe, the invisible angels fall prostrate. The bell tinkles softly, fragrant clouds of sweet-smelling incense ascend on high, and in the remotest corner of the vast church every head is bowed in adoration. It is a solemn moment, a moment when the silent streams of grace pour down upon our souls. God’s hands are lifted up to bless us; His sacred face is turned upon us, and He waits oh ! so eagerly for us to ask some favour that He may win our hearts by His generosity. Let us ask, then, confidently and show our trust in God’s great goodness by the boldness of our requests."

~ Fr. Willie Doyle ~

I wrote an earlier post on Fr. Doyle after learning about the heroic priest military chaplain from Fr. Mark Kirby on his blog, Vultus Christi.

Now a reader has kindly informed me of a new site called Remembering Fr William Doyle SJ, a blog that "seeks to share some daily reflections from the writings of the heroic, but largely forgotten, Jesuit "martyr" Fr Willie Doyle. My hope is that more people can come to know, and learn from, this remarkable man."

The quotes, prayer and video were found on this admirable new blog. I encourage you to take the time to learn about Fr. Doyle and benefit from his valuable reflections and the heroic example of his life.

Prayer for the Intercession of Fr. Doyle:

O Jesus, who has given us the example of Your servant, Father William Doyle, graciously grant us the favours we ask You through his intercession...[Make petition.]

Teach us to imitate his love for You, his heroic devotion to Your service, his zeal for repairing the outrages done to Your glory and for the salvation of souls. Hear our prayer and show us the credit he now enjoys in heaven so that we may soon be able to venerate him in public worship."

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

A song featuring Fr. Doyle:

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of his Church, to offer upto God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

The Sacrifice of Priesthood and the Brotherhood of Priests

From Fr. Gordon MacRae:

“I’m serving a sentence of 67 years when I could have left prison in less than three.” Barring some intervention, I will leave prison at age 108 for standing by the truth when I could have left at age 44 had I been willing to lie.”

"It is a truth of which I no longer have any doubt: This life and this priesthood are not all about me. It is not about my happiness, my security, my hopes, or my dreams. It is about God’s own plan for truth, sacrifice, and “justice, justice, justice,” and I am but an instrument in that plan."

"There is no score in this symphony I can write that is in any way distinctive. I play not a single note of suffering, sacrifice, and surrender that has not been played before and will not be played again. And if it follows that I would not be in prison today if I was not a priest – and I believe it does – then this imprisonment is not all about me either."

"... Yes, I would still be a priest – God help me! – and no, I would never, ever take the deal. Not ever."

"We live in a culture in which terms like “commitment,” “sacrifice,” and “truth” are seen by many as malleable concepts. This certainly isn’t so for Father Joseph Coffey, a U.S. Navy chaplain serving the spiritual needs of thousands of Marine, Army, and NATO forces in Afghanistan."

"Father Joseph Coffey is courageously living the sacrifice of priesthood. In his letter, he asked for prayers for the Marines and others under his care. 'I’ll keep doing my best,' he wrote."

"Father Joe Coffey has asked for my prayers, and I sacrifice a day in prison each week for him and for those he comes in contact with each day whether American, British or Afghani. Whenever I am tempted to let the bitterness of captivity be the sole measure of my life and priesthood, I think of Father Joe. I have never even met this man, and yet through These Stone Walls our lives and our priesthood are inexplicably linked. God help me if I shirk that duty of prayer and sacrifice."

~ Read Fr. MacRae's entire blog post here. ~

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. Vincent Capodanno, American Military Chaplain and Hero

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From the official site for cause of canonization of Servant of God Rev. Vincent R. Capodanno: Information on ordering The Grunt Padre:

"The compelling and beautiful story of Father Vincent R. Capodanno, a Roman Catholic Priest who overcame the world to become a Christ in the true meaning of Radiating Christ. First a Maryknoll missionary serving in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Father Capodanno became a Navy Chaplain and served with the 7th and 5th Marines in Vietnam. In the midst of a battle in 1967, Father Capodanno was wounded several times and was killed while trying to save the life of a fellow servicemen. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously."

~ Previous blog post on Fr. Capodanno ~

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest,Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

"The Miracle of Fr Kapaun" Documentary Available Now

"We can surely expect that in our own lives

there will come a time

when we must make a choice

between being loyal to the true faith

or of giving allegiance to something else."

~ Fr. Emil Kapaun ~

Thanks to the Wichita Eagle for videos, photos, testimonies, and more on Fr. Kapaun! The Documentary, "The Miracle of Father Kapaun", can be ordered through them. If you are interested in learning more about Fr. Kapaun, don't miss this site!

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. Emil Kapaun: A Documentary to Look Forward To

From the Wichita Eagle:

"Father Emil Kapaun of Pilsen, Kansas died a hero in a North Korean POW camp in 1951. His message of hope and never giving up still resonates today. The family of Chase Kear hoped that praying to Kapaun would help heal Chase, who was critically injured in 2008. Now the Vatican is investigating whether Chase Kear is a miracle, and whether Kapaun deserves to be a saint."

Previous Post on Fr. Emil Kapaun

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Catholic Priest Military Chaplains

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, has this to say about the priests who volunteer to be military chaplains:

The days are long. It can be lonely. Yet if you talk to most any of the priest-chaplains in the military, they will tell you they would not trade this ministry for any other. The rewards are great. The support of the people in the military is there. They are open to spiritual growth and willing to work hard for it. As the people in our military do the difficult work of protecting our freedom, Catholic chaplains walk beside them, providing the spiritual and emotional strength they need.

Don't bypass this Video on USA priest military chaplains if you want to be inspired to pray for them and for all of those who courageously serve our country in the armed forces.

AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Priest Hero: Servant of God Fr. Vincent Capodanno

Servant of God Fr. Vincent Capodanno Cause for Canonization Website

40 DAYS FOR LIFE DAY 20: 219 babies saved

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Priest Hero: Servant of God Fr. Emil J. Kapaun

Catholic Americans have loved and had special devotion to favorite saints from among the thousands who have been officially canonized by the Church. Very few of those saints have been USA born and raised.

Speaking as an American Catholic, this Year of the Priest is a meaningful time to focus on the American Catholic priests whose causes for canonization have been submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. There have been, and still are, countless holy American Catholic priests, unsung heroes, who quietly and faithfully serve without expectation of special honors. However, the possible canonization of American priests can only be a source of encouragement and joy to them.

Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun, born and raised in Kansas, served as a U.S. Army Chaplain during the Korean War. Those who served with him have testified to his heroism under fire and as a prisoner of war in a North Korean prison camp. He died at age 35 from starvation and pneumonia, but not before he had saved many lives and ministered to the sick and wounded.

Lord Jesus, in the midst of the folly of war,

Your servant, Chaplain Emil Kapaun

spent himself in total service to You

on the battlefields and in the prison camps of Korea,

until his death at the hands of his captors.

We now ask You, Lord Jesus, if it be Your will,

to make known to all the world

the holiness of Chaplain Kapaun

and the glory of his complete sacrifice for You

by signs of miracles and peace.

In Your name, Lord, we ask,

for You are the source of peace,

the strength of our service to others,

and our final hope.

Amen.

Canonization Cause Website

40 DAYS FOR LIFE DAY 14: The Tide is Turning

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Priest Military Chaplains

Thoughts of two priests in particular prompt me to ask for prayers for all priest military chaplains.

The first priest is Father Tim Vakoc, recently deceased,the first military chaplain seriously injured in the Iraq war. I did not know Father Vakoc personally, but was touched by words he said before he was wounded in 2004 at age 45, "The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's will, and if that is in the line of fire, that is where I will be." Father suffered five long years of medical emergencies and setbacks, tedious therapy, slow rehabilitation progress, difficulty communicating--all this for a formerly active, vibrant young man. Only he and God know the full extent of his mental, physical, and spiritual sufferings. What we do know is that Fr. Vakoc was an inspiration and good example for many as he bravely carried his cross. May he rest in peace, Lord, enjoying his eternal reward with you!

The second priest is Father Brian Stanley who served ten years as pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Coldwater, Michigan. As a summer visitor to his parish, I was always inspired by his faithful proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by his clear instruction on the teaching of the Catholic Church. Not concerned with personal popularity, but with saving the souls of the people entrusted to him, he wasn't afraid to present hard truths. He is an outstanding preacher with a special gift for presenting truths of the faith clearly, courageously, and always in an interesting way. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to doze off when he is speaking--he is a dynamic preacher, truly gifted by the Holy Spirit.

Now, Father Stanley is preparing to become a military chaplain, most likely in Iraq or Afghanistan. He and his Bishop believe God is calling him to this ministry. I can't say I'm surprised. Father Stanley's special prayers, love, respect, concern, and interest in our nation's military personnel was clearly evident. They will be extremely blessed to have him. I have no doubt that he will be well accepted and loved by them, as they can't help but recognize his genuine love for them. He will be missed in Coldwater, but God's plan is always best. I would expect Father Stanley to be as courageous in the military as he was in the pulpit. He is a brave and holy priest, a good shepherd following The Good Shepherd as best he can. Lord, please bless and keep Father Stanley safe, and may his ministry bear much good fruit for Your glory and the good of souls!

Father Stanley wrote in a letter to his parishioners that the Army in which he will serve has only 92 priests to serve over 250,000 Catholics! He hopes to be number 93 after he completes a three month Basic Officers' Leadership Course which he will start in September. He said, "Please pray for all in the military and those in the chaplaincy who seek to serve the spiritual needs of the Armed Forces."

For all priest military chaplains and all military chaplains--

Lord, bless them with safe and fruitful ministry!

For all our Armed Forces-- Lord, bless, protect, and guide!

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

A Priest Hero

In yesterday's post, I wrote about the death of Father Tim Vakoc, the first military chaplain seriously injured in the Iraq war. He was returning from presiding at a Mass for soldiers when his vehicle was struck by an explosive device. It was the 12th anniversary of his ordination, May 29, 2004. He was 45 years old. He lost his left eye in the blast and suffered trauma to the brain causing paralysis and loss of speech. The years since then have been filled with medical scares, emergencies, and achingly slow rehabilitation.

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A few days after he was injured, Father Vakoc was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. On his arrival there, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien told him, "You are still a priest. This bed is now your altar, and this is where you are now called to serve as priest."

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Father Tim suffered long and courageously, inspiring love, prayers, and the admiration of thousands as he accepted the difficulties and pain of his situation without complaint. Father not only talked about living in God's will--he lived it. Brother Conrad Richardson, a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace, once said of his visits to Father Vakoc, "Every time I visit him, I feel the presence of Jesus on that altar of his bed, and I see Jesus in his brokenness."

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On June 10, 2009, there was a special Mass in celebration of Father Tim's 17 years as a Roman Catholic priest. As recently as June 11th, the prayer petitions on his CaringBridge.org website included :

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"That he be able to swallow, so that he can receive Holy Communion.

For full use of his right arm, especially now as he attempts to do blessings with his right arm."

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What a man! What a priest! What a hero! What an alter Christus! God bless Father Timothy Vakoc!

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us to respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. Tim Vakoc, rest in peace

Early this morning in our parish Eucharistic adoration chapel, I was praying for Father Tim Vakoc, not realizing he had passed away on Saturday, June 20th. He has been on the prayer list in our chapel for several years, including pictures of him and information about his rehabilitation progress gleaned from his Caring Bridge.org website. Fr. Vakoc was the first military chaplain seriously injured in the Iraq war. He has been an inspiration to many who knew him personally and many who didn't. I hope I can always remember his words that have touched my heart since I first read them, "The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's will, and if that is in the line of fire, that is where I will be."

Archbishop John Nienstedt has asked for everyone to remember Father Tim in prayer. http://thecatholicspirit.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2045&pop

Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood

of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,

in union with the Masses said throughout the world today

for Fr. Tim Vakoc, for all faithful departed priests,

and all the holy souls in purgatory.

May his soul

and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us to respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen