Pat Leonard served throughout the Great War as a Chaplain to the Forces in France, Belgium and, after the Armistice, in Germany. Along with the many hundreds of letters he wrote to the relatives of those parishioners who died or were wounded, he found time to describe for his parents back at home the awful reality of life in the Trenches, and on the makeshift aerodromes from which the pilots of the Royal Flying Corps operated from the Observers seat which liberated his spirit from the mud of Flanders. Very much a front-line priest, his descriptions provide an unusually objective view of army life, and of the job of the multitasked chaplain who was expected to undertake the roles of counselor, comforter, caterer, censor, entertainment officer and sports supreme to name but a few. The extracts selected from his letters are full of detail, humor, self deprecation and just sometimes when judged by todays standards, mild political incorrectness! Known as a veritable fighting parson (because of his prowess in the boxing ring) he also played rugby for the RAF, was mentioned in dispatches, and was decorated for bravery. 90 years have passed before this opportunity arises to share his account of a life which the world remembers as dreadful beyond belief. Reading it demonstrates that despite the ghastliness, human qualities emerged with which we should all be proud. Pat Leonard was born in 1889 into a clergy family in Cumbria, MPG (Pat) Leonard went from being Head of School at Rossall to Oriel College, Oxford on a mathematics scholarship. After graduating and obtaining a TA Commission in the Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, Leonard served as a curate in a Manchester parish before being accepted as Chaplain to the 8th Battalion, the Kings Own, from September 1915 in the battlefields of the Somme Awarded the DSO for bravery and mentioned in dispatches, he transferred to the RFC in early 1918. After the war he was much involved in the development and growth of TocH throughout the world. Subsequently after a period as Rector of Hatfield and ten years in Glasgow as Provost of St. Marys Cathedral he was consecrated Bishop of Thetford in 1953.

"Father Edward Bastien was known in each of his South Texas parishes as a priest who would happily join in his parishioners' latest plumbing or electrical battles at home at the same time that he worked toward their spiritual well-being at church. But only when he arrived in the poor border town of Zapata, soon to be flooded by the building of the U.S.-Mexico Falcon Dam, did his tenacious efforts to help his parishioners fight the battle of their lives earn him the honorary moniker of the Fighting Father of Zapata." "Maria Rollin knew Father Bastien when she was a child. He gave her family a copy of his Zapata letters interspersed with his personal musings and anecdotes of the events of that time. Later Rollin realized that this man's manuscript is a humorous yet powerful personal account of bureaucracy gone amok, of poor South Texans forced into a diaspora, and of a priest who was willing to fight for the temporal as well as the spiritual needs of those who had no voice. This is his story."--BOOK JACKET.

"Previously distributed as a masters thesis by the same title"--T.p. verso. Includes index. Chaplains, Military -- Biography.

Covering the legendary Lofoten and Dieppe raids, the D-Day landings and the capture of Flushing, James Dunning recounts the history of No. 4 Commando, an elite wartime special service unit, from formation in 1940 to disbandment five years later. The author, himself, a 'Fighting Fourth' veteran, describes how 500 volunteers, despite initial problems, prejudices and frustrations, developed into one of the most feared fighting formations of the Second World War. The extraordinarily tough and unorthodox training undertaken by No. 4 Commando prepared them for the raids of 1941 and 1942, their protracted involvement on D-Day and for 83 days' action in the struggle for Normandy. Their last major operation was the storming and capture of the vital port of Flushing in November 1944. This readable and authoritative history of the unit reveals their important role in the Second World War.

Miraculous healings begin to occur after a young monk receives the stigmata when he is praying. The questions he must face from his superiors and the adjustments he must make in his own heart are all part of this tale. The monk discusses his experiences in a way that is touching and often humorous. His visits from divine messengers and his own visions are all described in a way that lets the reader feel the intensity of the mystical experience from the intimate perspective of the developing mystic. A PADRES TALE is an uplifting account that brings to life characters that can teach us all. Look for the authors other book, ANGELS DAILY MESSAGES, Letters of Inspiration, to read some loving messages that can help you meditate, or motivate yourself, or inspire your souls growth.