In Mysterious Ways: The Death and Life of a Parish Priest

by Paul Wilkes

Originally published to extraordinary acclaim, selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club, and the winner of the Christopher Medal, In Mysterious Ways is widely recognized as one of the best books about Catholicism today -- a modern-day Diary of a Country Priest. Paul Wilkes paints an intimate and affecting portrait of Father Joseph Greer, the pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Natick, Massachusetts, as he struggles with a terminal case of bone marrow cancer. Even as it depicts the pastor's harrowing fight to live, In Mysterious Ways is ultimately an uplifting story of transcendence. As we watch him overcome his own pain, it is impossible not to admire and learn from Father Greer, who is certainly no saint but rather, as Wilkes makes clear, an ordinary person like anyone else. In Mysterious Ways offers a powerful vision of fortitude, leadership, and the limitless capabilities of a strong human spirit.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Kathie Kuehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. It is the story of Father Joseph Greer, pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in Natick, Mass. The 2 main themes:
1. what life is like for an average parish priest with all of the many challenges he faces including financial difficulties, overworked staff, endless meetings, deteriorating buildings, lower number of registered parishioners, Archdiocesan demands, fund raising, administering the sacraments, daily liturgies etc.
2in addition, Father is also fighting bone marrow cancer and goes through an extremely excruciating treatment and faces his own mortality.
Even though written in 1990, I found this book to be very interesting. I admired the main character very much. Fr. Greer is one of the many unsung heroes of the priesthood... living the priestly life as best he can and, in spite of many challenges and a life threatening illness, continues to persevere in his vocation.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a haunting book about the final years of Fr. Joesph Greer, the pastor of St. Patrick parish in Natick. In Mysterious Ways is as much about the realities of the Catholic Church in Boston as it is about the illness--bone marrow cancer--that Fr. Greer faces. The author set out to learn about what it means to be the pastor of a large Catholic church, and ended up following Fr. Greer through his ultimately unsuccessful fight for his life. Knowing one priest who I would actually call a friend, I have some idea about what the life of a pastor is all about: work, work, and more work, as well as loneliness, disappointment, and frustration. At the same time, being a priest is about connecting with people at the most important parts of their lives, and being a part of something much greater than one's self. With all of the day to day issues of a parish (parking lots, leaky roofs, fund raising, the politics of the Archdiocese, not to mention administering the sacraments, dealing with those who need guidance, etc.) Fr. Greer had to face his own very severe illness, and ultimately, his mortality.

This was a powerful book. Written nearly 20 years ago, the issues the author points out with regard to the Catholic priesthood--simply not enough priests to do the work--have only become exacerbated by the passing of two decades. I can't help but wonder what the indomitable Fr. Greer would have said about the abuse crisis. I'm sure he would have had some very choice words.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot going for it: a good writer taking on the important and interesting topic of how a Catholic priest faces the prospect of his own death as he goes through treatment for multiple myeloma, a normally fatal cancer. The reader learns about daily parish life, the challenges posed to the church and the priesthood by the cultural revolution of the late 60s, and the extraordinary scientific developments that led to bone marrow transplants. The first half of the book was gripping, but then the momentum stalled a bit. Perhaps this was due to the progress of Father Greer's disease, and the excruciating treatments, which nearly killed him and left him (understandably) a less energetic and engaging subject. Nonetheless, well worth reading, perhaps especially for Catholic doctors.

[Carola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admire Wilkes' ability to present Father Greer as a real person, describing both his gifts and his challenges without sensationalizing either. I wanted to understand Father Greer a little better, but believe the author was limited by his subject, not his ability to write. As Father Greer's illness progresses, the story takes a shift from life as a parish priest to life as a person with a life-threatening condition, but both were of interest to me.

[Stella Davis]

The book was "long winded" until the last 4 chapters. Author described too much, gave too much information, etc. Was a little bored but when he described all Father Greer had to endure it was very interesting and informative.

[Rosemary Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about a parish priest, his life as a priest in New England, and his battle with leukemia and a bone marrow transplant.