The Year of the Priest – New Book

As one of the first contributions to the celebration of the year for priests, Canon Daniel Cronin has edited a book of reflections entitled Priesthood: A life open to Christ (St Pauls, 2009). Among the seventy-eight contributors are two popes, a college of cardinals, a bench of bishops, and many priests from different parts of the world. There are contributions from Africa and Australia as well as Europe, from chaplains and academics as well as from parish priests and monks. There is even a choir of Dominicans made up of Bishop Malcolm McMahon, fr Timothy Radcliffe, fr Allan White and fr John Farrell of the English province, fr Paul Murray and fr Vivian Boland of the Irish province, and Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, Archbishop of Vienna. Canon Cronin says he wanted the book ‘to touch the heart of its readers by real, lived experiences’ and is happy that the contributors ‘have written from a depth of insight and with a diversity of content which reflect the varied nature of their work and ministry within the priesthood’. It offers much spiritual, theological and pastoral nourishment for all who care about the Catholic priesthood.