Father William Doyle, in Ireland, has taken a step closer to sainthood. Bishop Thomas Deenihan of the Diocese of Meath announced on October 27 his intention to open the cause for the Jesuit's beatification and canonization.
Fr. Doyle was an Irish military chaplain in the British Army who served heroically on the battlefields of the First World War and died while attempting to save two Protestant soldiers.
"We are obviously very happy, but also very grateful," said Patrick Kenny, chairman of the Father Willie Doyle Association, to CNA on October 31. "We are very grateful to the bishop, very grateful to the Irish Jesuit province who supported us, and very grateful to God's providence that this is the time for Father Doyle's cause to be introduced."
The association seeks to make Father Doyle known and to promote his cause for sainthood.
"One of the standard features of Father Willie's personality was his joy," said Kenny. "What is interesting is that, while he himself lived a very austere and mortified life, very few people knew it. Outwardly, as far as anyone knew, he was a very, very joyful man and he was actually famous for his jokes."
Doyle's admirers have noted the particular role of prayer and penance in his life: the priest's diaries show that he offered his mortifications and sufferings to God in reparation for the sins of priests.
Bishop Deenihan's decree indicates that Doyle's cause for sainthood received the "unanimous consent" of the Irish Episcopal Conference and the approval of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The request to open the cause came from Father John Hogan, who has been appointed postulator of the cause.
"His example is an example of hope for many," said Father Hogan in an October 27 statement from the Doyle Association. "I am privileged to act as postulator for Father Willie's cause and I look forward to helping make him a new saint for the Jesuits and a new saint for Ireland."
Doyle was born on March 3, 1873, in Dalkey, a southeastern suburb of Dublin. He was the youngest of seven children in a devout family that took care to look after its less fortunate neighbors. As a young boy, he often brought food and money to his poor neighbors and cleaned and painted their houses, according to his biography on the Doyle Association website.
In 1891, he entered the Society of Jesus in County Meath. After his priestly ordination in 1907, he was assigned to various posts in Ireland, where he focused on helping workers and their families.
When the First World War broke out, he volunteered as a military chaplain for the 8th Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers of the 16th Irish Division of the British Army. He served from late 1915 until his death in 1917.
He became known for his efforts on behalf of the dead and dying, as he suffered with the soldiers in the trenches. On one occasion, when a doctor had fallen ill and had no warm or dry place to sleep, Doyle lay flat on his stomach in the shelter they shared so the doctor could sleep on his back.
Doyle died on August 16, 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium, while attempting to save two Anglican soldiers from Ulster, in Northern Ireland.
He received the Military Cross for his bravery at the Battle of the Somme and a divisional merit award for his bravery during a toxic gas attack. He was nominated for the Distinguished Service Order and the Victoria Cross, the latter being the most prestigious military decoration of the British armed forces.
Kenny noted that the priest who would become known for his courage and heroism suffered a "complete nervous breakdown" at the age of 20 when his novitiate caught fire.
"It had a great effect on him. And he was healed of that," said Kenny. "We see him 20 years later as this war hero to whom people flocked. He was so brave, but he was also so serene in the midst of the dangers of war. That is, I think, a very attractive part of his personality for us today. He shows us that this kind of healing and transformation is possible."
The cause for Doyle's beatification and canonization will be officially opened at a Mass on November 20 at Christ the King Cathedral in Mullingar, County Westmeath, the seat of the Diocese of Meath.
Bishop Deenihan's decree emphasized the "grave responsibility" of any decision regarding Doyle's cause for beatification. It invites anyone with knowledge of "any matter concerning the reputation for holiness" of Doyle, positive or negative, to submit it to the bishop or the postulator of the cause. The decree invites anyone in possession of Doyle's writings, including diaries, letters, and manuscripts, to submit them to the postulator.
The investigation process will include diocesan tribunals, a theological examination, and efforts to assess any reports from the faithful.
Kenny said the Doyle Association will strive to advance the cause for sainthood by giving lectures, distributing prayer cards, and fundraising to support the case.
Given that a Church-approved miracle is often necessary for beatification, the association particularly encourages people to pray for Doyle's intercession if they have friends or family members who are particularly ill or if they themselves are ill.
"Pray to Father Willie for a miracle and a healing," said Kenny.
Kenny said devotion to Doyle was "a worldwide phenomenon" after the priest's death.
In the early 1930s, Church authorities had received more than 50,000 letters attesting to personal devotion to him. Among these, 6,000 reported healings and favors obtained through his intercession. Several canonized saints had a devotion to Doyle, including Teresa of Calcutta, Josemaría Escrivá, Alberto Hurtado, and Rafael Arnáiz Barón. In the 1930s, opening his cause for canonization was seriously considered, but it was delayed.
For Kenny, the fact that Doyle died trying to save two non-Catholic soldiers helps make him "an icon of peace and reconciliation on an island that has long been divided between Catholics and Protestants. There have also been divisions between Ireland and England, and here is a man who crosses all these barriers."
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Hogan, the postulator of the cause, said that Saint Oliver Plunkett is the only Irish person to have been canonized in the last 500 years.
"Ireland has many great candidates for sainthood, and Father Willie Doyle is one of the most fascinating of all. His attractive personality and his love for God and others shine through in his writings," said Hogan. "He is also an extremely relevant figure for the Church today, especially in Ireland."
This article was originally published by Catholic World Report (Article Link). It is republished and translated with the author's permission.