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Tavo sparnų ūksmėje
Gereonas Goldmannas (1916-2003), pranciškonų vienuolis, po karo išgarsėjęs socialine veikla Japonijoje, kur buvo pramintas „Tokijo skudurininku" ir imperatoriaus apdovanotas aukšto rango ordinu, įtaigiai bei pagauliai dalijasi atsiminimais iš karinės tarnybos Antrojo pasaulinio karo metais.
Pašauktas kareiviu į Vermachtą, netrukus atsiduria Waffen-SS. Dalyvauja Prancūzijos kampanijoje. Kai raštu viešai išreiškė nepritarimą nacių pasaulėžiūrai, iš SS gretų atleidžiamas. Tarnaudamas Vermachte sanitaru, nužygiuoja iki Maskvos apylinkių. Sunkiai sirgdamas 1942 m. grįžta į Vokietiją. Už viešą priešiškumo naciams demonstravimą čia jo laukia karo tribunolas. Stebuklingai išvengia mirties bausmės ir prisideda prie pasipriešinimo grupės, rengiančios pasikėsinimą į Hitlerį. Sąjungininkams 1943 m. išsilaipinus Sicilijoje, tarnauja sanitaru ten kovojusioje tankų divizijoje. Išgyvena mūšius prie Montekasino ir galop 1944 m. vasarą pakliūva britams į nelaisvę. Prasideda ilgi nelaisvės metai karo belaisvių stovyklose Šiaurės Afrikoje. Gereonas kovoja su ten tebevyraujančiais naciais. Jų apšmeižtas, esą žudęs kalinius Dachau koncentracijos stovykloje, prancūzų karinės valdžios nuteisiamas myriop. Asmeniškai įsikišus popiežiui, paskutinę minutę išvengia mirties bausmės įvykdymo. Paleistas iš nelaisvės, 1947 m. grįžta į vienuolyną, o 1954 m. išvyksta į Japoniją misionieriauti.
Pasak jau daug metų Lietuvoje besidarbuojančio ir autorių asmeniškai pažinojusio tėvo Severino Holocherio OFM, „tėvas Gereonas pasakoja tiesą, kokią pats patyrė. Jau iki karo jis įžvelgė - ir tos įžvalgos neišjudino nė Vermachto pradiniai pergalės žygiai - vidinį nacių režimo žiaurumą bei melagingumą ligi pat sistemingo žmonių naikinimo: juk lankėsi Dachau, buvo įvairiuose frontuose, ne vienus metus praleido kaip karo belaisvis. Anuomet jis pažvelgė baisiai tikrovei į veidą ir savaip reagavo - lygiai kaip vėliau matydamas materialinį bei dvasinį skurdą Japonijoje ir Pietų Indijoje: Tai tiesiog turėjau daryti. Matydamas vargą ir būdamas krikščionis, turiu padėti. Kitaip negaliu."
Pašauktas kareiviu į Vermachtą, netrukus atsiduria Waffen-SS. Dalyvauja Prancūzijos kampanijoje. Kai raštu viešai išreiškė nepritarimą nacių pasaulėžiūrai, iš SS gretų atleidžiamas. Tarnaudamas Vermachte sanitaru, nužygiuoja iki Maskvos apylinkių. Sunkiai sirgdamas 1942 m. grįžta į Vokietiją. Už viešą priešiškumo naciams demonstravimą čia jo laukia karo tribunolas. Stebuklingai išvengia mirties bausmės ir prisideda prie pasipriešinimo grupės, rengiančios pasikėsinimą į Hitlerį. Sąjungininkams 1943 m. išsilaipinus Sicilijoje, tarnauja sanitaru ten kovojusioje tankų divizijoje. Išgyvena mūšius prie Montekasino ir galop 1944 m. vasarą pakliūva britams į nelaisvę. Prasideda ilgi nelaisvės metai karo belaisvių stovyklose Šiaurės Afrikoje. Gereonas kovoja su ten tebevyraujančiais naciais. Jų apšmeižtas, esą žudęs kalinius Dachau koncentracijos stovykloje, prancūzų karinės valdžios nuteisiamas myriop. Asmeniškai įsikišus popiežiui, paskutinę minutę išvengia mirties bausmės įvykdymo. Paleistas iš nelaisvės, 1947 m. grįžta į vienuolyną, o 1954 m. išvyksta į Japoniją misionieriauti.
Pasak jau daug metų Lietuvoje besidarbuojančio ir autorių asmeniškai pažinojusio tėvo Severino Holocherio OFM, „tėvas Gereonas pasakoja tiesą, kokią pats patyrė. Jau iki karo jis įžvelgė - ir tos įžvalgos neišjudino nė Vermachto pradiniai pergalės žygiai - vidinį nacių režimo žiaurumą bei melagingumą ligi pat sistemingo žmonių naikinimo: juk lankėsi Dachau, buvo įvairiuose frontuose, ne vienus metus praleido kaip karo belaisvis. Anuomet jis pažvelgė baisiai tikrovei į veidą ir savaip reagavo - lygiai kaip vėliau matydamas materialinį bei dvasinį skurdą Japonijoje ir Pietų Indijoje: Tai tiesiog turėjau daryti. Matydamas vargą ir būdamas krikščionis, turiu padėti. Kitaip negaliu."
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
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August 30, 2011
It's difficult to start this review without the standard clichés and cheap, ubiquitous adjectives. This was "an inspiring true story" and "an amazing narrative" about the "astonishing life" of Father Gereon Goldman, a Franciscan priest, who was forced to serve in the German army during WWII. The Shadow of His Wings is full of "miraculous episodes." This book is "a truly stirring account" of Father Goldman's experiences with "Nazi oppression" and "the horrors of war." See what I mean? But the thing is, in this case, the standard clichés and overused adjectives are all true. Father Goldman's autobiography really is inspiring, amazing, astonishing, and stirring—if any true narrative ever was those things, this one is. I want to do this book justice in my review by not relying on the usual tired descriptions, but maybe I'd be doing an injustice by eliminating words like inspiring et al. if they really are the best words to describe the story. Maybe this book puts meaning back into those words, rescuing them from the junkyard of triteness and mediocrity. Regardless of your own faith or religious tradition (I'm a former evangelical Protestant turned Roman Catholic with an agnostic bent), you should be able to find in Father Goldman's story of living through—and overcoming—the hardship and depravation of WWII something inspirational, something stirring, something that simply amazes you, and most importantly something to make you think about faith and the role it plays in our lives.
The Shadow of His Wings offers the reader several important themes that each deserves consideration. I'll try to give each theme its due. But first a synopsis to put the discussion in perspective:
Father Goldman was born Karl Goldman, Jr. in rural Germany in 1916. (The origin of the name "Gereon" is not explained.) His father was a veteran of WWI and was at the western front when Karl was born. I forget how many brothers and sisters he had, but it was a lot. His mother died when he was about 10 and then his father remarried and had more kids. Young Karl was always the biggest and strongest as he had his father's tall, muscular frame. But Karl didn't use his frame to bully people. Oh, he got in plenty of fights, but it was always defending his siblings from bullies or defending other school kids who were too small or weak to defend themselves. He was brought up with a strong sense of justice and helping those who were less fortunate.
Goldman was an alter server at a young age and professed an early desire to join the priesthood. He also became enamored with the Franciscan order and its creed of helping those in need. A nun that he met when he was young told him that she would pray every day for 20 years that he would be ordained a Franciscan priest. Against all odds, in the middle of the war, it would happen.
As a young man Goldman joined the seminary and studied philosophy, getting ready for his religious/theological instruction. While a seminarian he and his fellow students were drafted into the German army. As educated, principled men they were recruited to the SS and put to work in noncombatant occupations: medics and radio operators and such. That doesn't mean they would avoid combat—quite the contrary, but they were given jobs that didn't require them to pick up guns and kill people. Father Goldman managed to go through the war without ever firing a weapon in anger; he never killed anyone, though he did occasionally threaten people with his gun in specific desperate circumstances. The seminarians were constantly ridiculed and rebuked for their religion. They were part of the invasion of Poland, then into France, then later to Russia. Goldman himself was spared the Russian campaign because of a serious illness that left him incapacitated—that would save his life, as all of his fellows were killed in the Stalingrad campaign.
I won't tell you the rest of the story but rather I urge you to read it for yourself. You'll find out how Father Goldman survived the war and subsequent confinement in prisoner-of-war camps, how he became ordained a priest, how he ministered to his fellow soldiers and prisoners, and the desperate situations that tested his physical will and faith over and over. Goldman's story is better than any piece of fiction, full of suspense, conflict, surprises, and a great ending. Now to themes that I got from the book …
The power of prayer:
The power of prayer is one of the more important themes in this book. Father Goldman clearly believes that the faithful persevering prayer of nuns and priests resulted directly in divine intervention that saved him from death more than once. I admit the circumstances surrounding his various close calls are indeed compelling and would be incredible coincidences. It certainly is hard to deny that, at least in appearance, it looks like other peoples' prayer played a huge role in guiding Goldman's life. I should note here that I have no reason to believe anything Goldman relates is not true; the book's editor insists that he has verified everything with eyewitnesses and contemporary documents, so I'm assuming all the important details are true.
So how should I react to this? I don't know. I'm struggling with it. For every example Goldman cites of prayer working in his life, there are plenty of examples of prayer leading to nothing. I've seen fervent, faithful, and perseverant prayer not lead to any perceivable results in my own life and in the lives of friends and family. But I've witnessed other instances of prayer working, or at least, looking like it was working. And Goldman's stories are, like I said, pretty compelling. So I'm still thinking about it.
As I've noted in previous reviews, my own faith has undergone a huge evolution over the last two or three years. The Shadow of His Wings is just the latest in a series of books that I've read in order to help me better understand the evolution my faith is undergoing, as well as to help me think about faith generally, and try to work out what it is that I really believe. I was once so sure of what I believed, but now I'm in some ways an agnostic, and even where I think I know what I believe I'm constantly questioning, challenging, revising when necessary. I'm just not at a place where I can be sure of things like I used to be. I don't think I'll ever be that sure of faith again, but I do hope to work out a "truth" that resonates with me and that I can settle into. There will be elements of protestant Christianity, elements of Roman Catholicism, and plenty of healthy agnosticism thrown in, but I will get there, eventually, and the story of Father Goldman I think is helping me on that journey.
Faith in times of suffering:
Even now, with all my doubt and constant critical evaluation of what I believe, I can't doubt the important role that a strong faith can play when you're undergoing suffering. And I don't mean the "suffering" that most of us endure in the U.S.—worrying about money, maybe an illness here or there, and whether our kids are learning anything in school—I mean real suffering under literally inhuman conditions. Suffering in the midst of war and concentration camps … seeing your friends die all around you and facing death yourself every day … that kind of suffering. Father Goldman's faith clearly carried him through those times in his lives, and as a priest ministering to other prisoners of war under awful, inhuman conditions he was able to bring out the faith in others that would carry them through those trying times as well.
Suffering as redemption:
Father Goldman offered up his suffering for a redemptive purpose, and he clearly believes that he benefited from others offering up their suffering for his benefit. This is a very Catholic thing, not really found in Protestant circles, the idea that you can offer up your suffering as penance for somebody else so that person can experience God's blessings.
I recently encountered the idea of redemptive suffering in God's Problem by Bart Ehrman. Ehrman shreds the idea of redemptive suffering from a logical perspective. But a few weeks ago I was having dinner with some friends—the most "Catholic" Catholics I know—and they describe the idea in more human, personal terms, and made it seem more plausible. Something else I need to keep thinking about as I search for truth that I can believe.
Humanity in the midst of inhuman war:
As a medic in the German army, Goldman was able to offer comfort to soldiers who were suffering and dying all around him. And he witnessed acts of incredible kindness and self-sacrifice in the middle of the most inhuman circumstances. War brings out both the best and the worst of humanity.
Not all Germans were "bad guys":
When history is written by the victors, it's easy to forget that Germany wasn't a nation full of animals. Like any other nation, German contained examples of the best and worst that humanity has to offer, it's just that people who fell more toward the "worst" side of the spectrum were able to gain control of a desperate, hungry populace struggling to recover from WWI. The massive German army was built primarily on the backs of draftees; they drafted nearly every eligible man between the ages of 18 and 35 very early in the war, and then the jaws of war chewed up those men. A whole generation of German soldiers—their best-equipped and best-trained troops—most of whom were just well meaning young men who were drafted and tried to make the best of their situations—died in the invasion of Russia. Father Goldman escaped service on the Russian front and was put to work in the Italian front.
A few months into the German retreat through Sicily and then Italy, he was Sergeant-Major Goldman, an army medic and seasoned non-com, and he often the most experienced man on the battlefield despite his refusal to fire a weapon at another human being. Goldman's unit, having been devastated, slaughtered even, in the withdrawal and escape from Sicily, was supplemented with new draftees who were all very young (under 18) or very old (over 45). The new draftees, the young and old, were all that Germany had left to throw into the hungry jaws of war, and they were thrown in without adequate training and with very little support in terms of officers or equipment.
Those German soldiers were not all "bad people." Sure, some of them were Nazi sympathizers with ideas of moral and racial superiority. But most weren’t. They didn't choose to be born in Germany. Indeed they probably did not want to conquer all of Europe, but they couldn't speak out without fear of Nazi reprisals against them and their families. They were drafted and sent straight to the front, with the bare minimum of training, and were told "fight or be executed." What would you do in those circumstances? Really ask yourself that question. If you were drafted to fight in a war that America started but that you didn't support, and you had no place like Canada to which you could flee, and America was losing and now threatened itself, and you were told to "fight or we'll execute you and imprison your family" … what would you do? Would you really have the courage to refuse to fight in the unjust war? I wouldn't have that courage, and I bet you wouldn't, either.
The Germans were destined to lose WWII:
So if you've studied WWII at all, you know about Germany losing many of its best-trained "fighting-age" men in the Russian front, North Africa, and elsewhere, and the subsequent need to draft the young and old to send into the battlefields. This leads to something else that Goldman realized when he was fighting in Italy: by late 1942, certainly by early 1943, Germany simply could not win the war; Germany simply could not complete with Allied industrial might and manpower.
I recently completed Connie Willis's newest time-travel adventures: Blackout and All Clear. She likes to hammer points home with repetition—lots of repetition, btw—and one of them was that the outcome of WWII was balanced on the "knife's edge" of history. Willis believes that WWII could have tipped either way at many critical points, and that the world was in real danger of Nazi/Imperial Japanese rule.
I'm not so sure that's true, at least not once the war was a couple of years old. Early on, it seems to me the Germans made a huge error by bombing London rather than smashing the RAF with superior German numbers. They then could have invaded Britain with air superiority and possibly conquered the British Isles. That was a very plausible outcome in 1940 and 1941, and obviously it would have set the Allied cause back tremendously, but it only would have lengthened the war. For one thing, the Germans were still bound to take massive losses on the Eastern Front; the invasion of Russia was doomed from the start. Also, the Germans would have taken significant losses in an invasion of the British Isles, and would have needed a huge occupation army to prevent armed uprisings from the British people. Keep in mind that Germany had a much more difficult time replacing losses—both human and materiel losses—than the Allies did. So every soldier lost in an invasion of Britain was a soldier that couldn’t be replaced, couldn't fight in Russia, couldn't defend Germany from the Russians, and couldn't defend North Africa or Italy from the Americans.
The Americans, compared with Germany (and Japan, btw) had a near-unlimited supply of manpower and equipment. The United States was simply too big and too industrialized. And once Germany decided not to invade Britain, thereby leaving Britain as a staging ground for invasion of the Continent, they were doomed. Stuck between the Russians in the east and the British/American forces in the west, the Germans simply had no chance. The Germans put up a brave and effective fight given their lack of manpower and resources, thereby lengthening the war, but lengthening the war was all they ever could do. The outcome of the war, once Germany decided not to invade Britain, simply was not in doubt.
I certainly don't mean to say that winning WWII was easy, not by any means. Indeed the Allies were always going to win precisely because they were willing to work hard, endure hardship, and make the sacrifices necessary to defeat Germany and Japan. And I know that it's only with the hindsight of history that we can say with any confidence that the Allies were destined to win. At the time, the contemporaries had plenty of reasons for doubt and despair as they didn't have access to the whole picture like we do today. But Father Goldman, I think, realized that Germany was doomed to lose as early as the summer of 1943, when he was sneaking through the mountains of Italy and observing thousands upon thousands of Allied troops landing and marching northward, witnessing row upon row of Allied tanks and artillery lined up on the plains and beaches. Goldman commented at one point that he thought the German Army in Italy was outnumbered ten-to-one in manpower and a hundred-to-one in materiel. While in reality the situation might not have been that lopsided, it was still pretty lopsided. Many German units, their well trained paratroopers in particular, put up a hell of a fight, but all they did was slow the inevitable advance of the Allied juggernaut reaching up the Italian boot.
Conclusion
So what does one say about The Shadow of His Wings? Again, this book really is inspiring and moving in the true sense of those words, clichés notwithstanding. Father Goldman is a remarkable man who has done a tremendous amount of good in the world under the most difficult of circumstances, and you don't have to be a Roman Catholic, or even a Christian more generally, to think so. He is an example of the best that humanity has to offer, and someone we all should strive to emulate, if not in faith than at least in acts of kindness and self-sacrifice. We can all cling to our own faiths and find our own meaning from the spiritual realm, but I don't think anyone could deny that the world would be a much better place—for people of all faiths and cultures—if more of us lived out a life of love like Father Goldman.
The Shadow of His Wings offers the reader several important themes that each deserves consideration. I'll try to give each theme its due. But first a synopsis to put the discussion in perspective:
Father Goldman was born Karl Goldman, Jr. in rural Germany in 1916. (The origin of the name "Gereon" is not explained.) His father was a veteran of WWI and was at the western front when Karl was born. I forget how many brothers and sisters he had, but it was a lot. His mother died when he was about 10 and then his father remarried and had more kids. Young Karl was always the biggest and strongest as he had his father's tall, muscular frame. But Karl didn't use his frame to bully people. Oh, he got in plenty of fights, but it was always defending his siblings from bullies or defending other school kids who were too small or weak to defend themselves. He was brought up with a strong sense of justice and helping those who were less fortunate.
Goldman was an alter server at a young age and professed an early desire to join the priesthood. He also became enamored with the Franciscan order and its creed of helping those in need. A nun that he met when he was young told him that she would pray every day for 20 years that he would be ordained a Franciscan priest. Against all odds, in the middle of the war, it would happen.
As a young man Goldman joined the seminary and studied philosophy, getting ready for his religious/theological instruction. While a seminarian he and his fellow students were drafted into the German army. As educated, principled men they were recruited to the SS and put to work in noncombatant occupations: medics and radio operators and such. That doesn't mean they would avoid combat—quite the contrary, but they were given jobs that didn't require them to pick up guns and kill people. Father Goldman managed to go through the war without ever firing a weapon in anger; he never killed anyone, though he did occasionally threaten people with his gun in specific desperate circumstances. The seminarians were constantly ridiculed and rebuked for their religion. They were part of the invasion of Poland, then into France, then later to Russia. Goldman himself was spared the Russian campaign because of a serious illness that left him incapacitated—that would save his life, as all of his fellows were killed in the Stalingrad campaign.
I won't tell you the rest of the story but rather I urge you to read it for yourself. You'll find out how Father Goldman survived the war and subsequent confinement in prisoner-of-war camps, how he became ordained a priest, how he ministered to his fellow soldiers and prisoners, and the desperate situations that tested his physical will and faith over and over. Goldman's story is better than any piece of fiction, full of suspense, conflict, surprises, and a great ending. Now to themes that I got from the book …
The power of prayer:
The power of prayer is one of the more important themes in this book. Father Goldman clearly believes that the faithful persevering prayer of nuns and priests resulted directly in divine intervention that saved him from death more than once. I admit the circumstances surrounding his various close calls are indeed compelling and would be incredible coincidences. It certainly is hard to deny that, at least in appearance, it looks like other peoples' prayer played a huge role in guiding Goldman's life. I should note here that I have no reason to believe anything Goldman relates is not true; the book's editor insists that he has verified everything with eyewitnesses and contemporary documents, so I'm assuming all the important details are true.
So how should I react to this? I don't know. I'm struggling with it. For every example Goldman cites of prayer working in his life, there are plenty of examples of prayer leading to nothing. I've seen fervent, faithful, and perseverant prayer not lead to any perceivable results in my own life and in the lives of friends and family. But I've witnessed other instances of prayer working, or at least, looking like it was working. And Goldman's stories are, like I said, pretty compelling. So I'm still thinking about it.
As I've noted in previous reviews, my own faith has undergone a huge evolution over the last two or three years. The Shadow of His Wings is just the latest in a series of books that I've read in order to help me better understand the evolution my faith is undergoing, as well as to help me think about faith generally, and try to work out what it is that I really believe. I was once so sure of what I believed, but now I'm in some ways an agnostic, and even where I think I know what I believe I'm constantly questioning, challenging, revising when necessary. I'm just not at a place where I can be sure of things like I used to be. I don't think I'll ever be that sure of faith again, but I do hope to work out a "truth" that resonates with me and that I can settle into. There will be elements of protestant Christianity, elements of Roman Catholicism, and plenty of healthy agnosticism thrown in, but I will get there, eventually, and the story of Father Goldman I think is helping me on that journey.
Faith in times of suffering:
Even now, with all my doubt and constant critical evaluation of what I believe, I can't doubt the important role that a strong faith can play when you're undergoing suffering. And I don't mean the "suffering" that most of us endure in the U.S.—worrying about money, maybe an illness here or there, and whether our kids are learning anything in school—I mean real suffering under literally inhuman conditions. Suffering in the midst of war and concentration camps … seeing your friends die all around you and facing death yourself every day … that kind of suffering. Father Goldman's faith clearly carried him through those times in his lives, and as a priest ministering to other prisoners of war under awful, inhuman conditions he was able to bring out the faith in others that would carry them through those trying times as well.
Suffering as redemption:
Father Goldman offered up his suffering for a redemptive purpose, and he clearly believes that he benefited from others offering up their suffering for his benefit. This is a very Catholic thing, not really found in Protestant circles, the idea that you can offer up your suffering as penance for somebody else so that person can experience God's blessings.
I recently encountered the idea of redemptive suffering in God's Problem by Bart Ehrman. Ehrman shreds the idea of redemptive suffering from a logical perspective. But a few weeks ago I was having dinner with some friends—the most "Catholic" Catholics I know—and they describe the idea in more human, personal terms, and made it seem more plausible. Something else I need to keep thinking about as I search for truth that I can believe.
Humanity in the midst of inhuman war:
As a medic in the German army, Goldman was able to offer comfort to soldiers who were suffering and dying all around him. And he witnessed acts of incredible kindness and self-sacrifice in the middle of the most inhuman circumstances. War brings out both the best and the worst of humanity.
Not all Germans were "bad guys":
When history is written by the victors, it's easy to forget that Germany wasn't a nation full of animals. Like any other nation, German contained examples of the best and worst that humanity has to offer, it's just that people who fell more toward the "worst" side of the spectrum were able to gain control of a desperate, hungry populace struggling to recover from WWI. The massive German army was built primarily on the backs of draftees; they drafted nearly every eligible man between the ages of 18 and 35 very early in the war, and then the jaws of war chewed up those men. A whole generation of German soldiers—their best-equipped and best-trained troops—most of whom were just well meaning young men who were drafted and tried to make the best of their situations—died in the invasion of Russia. Father Goldman escaped service on the Russian front and was put to work in the Italian front.
A few months into the German retreat through Sicily and then Italy, he was Sergeant-Major Goldman, an army medic and seasoned non-com, and he often the most experienced man on the battlefield despite his refusal to fire a weapon at another human being. Goldman's unit, having been devastated, slaughtered even, in the withdrawal and escape from Sicily, was supplemented with new draftees who were all very young (under 18) or very old (over 45). The new draftees, the young and old, were all that Germany had left to throw into the hungry jaws of war, and they were thrown in without adequate training and with very little support in terms of officers or equipment.
Those German soldiers were not all "bad people." Sure, some of them were Nazi sympathizers with ideas of moral and racial superiority. But most weren’t. They didn't choose to be born in Germany. Indeed they probably did not want to conquer all of Europe, but they couldn't speak out without fear of Nazi reprisals against them and their families. They were drafted and sent straight to the front, with the bare minimum of training, and were told "fight or be executed." What would you do in those circumstances? Really ask yourself that question. If you were drafted to fight in a war that America started but that you didn't support, and you had no place like Canada to which you could flee, and America was losing and now threatened itself, and you were told to "fight or we'll execute you and imprison your family" … what would you do? Would you really have the courage to refuse to fight in the unjust war? I wouldn't have that courage, and I bet you wouldn't, either.
The Germans were destined to lose WWII:
So if you've studied WWII at all, you know about Germany losing many of its best-trained "fighting-age" men in the Russian front, North Africa, and elsewhere, and the subsequent need to draft the young and old to send into the battlefields. This leads to something else that Goldman realized when he was fighting in Italy: by late 1942, certainly by early 1943, Germany simply could not win the war; Germany simply could not complete with Allied industrial might and manpower.
I recently completed Connie Willis's newest time-travel adventures: Blackout and All Clear. She likes to hammer points home with repetition—lots of repetition, btw—and one of them was that the outcome of WWII was balanced on the "knife's edge" of history. Willis believes that WWII could have tipped either way at many critical points, and that the world was in real danger of Nazi/Imperial Japanese rule.
I'm not so sure that's true, at least not once the war was a couple of years old. Early on, it seems to me the Germans made a huge error by bombing London rather than smashing the RAF with superior German numbers. They then could have invaded Britain with air superiority and possibly conquered the British Isles. That was a very plausible outcome in 1940 and 1941, and obviously it would have set the Allied cause back tremendously, but it only would have lengthened the war. For one thing, the Germans were still bound to take massive losses on the Eastern Front; the invasion of Russia was doomed from the start. Also, the Germans would have taken significant losses in an invasion of the British Isles, and would have needed a huge occupation army to prevent armed uprisings from the British people. Keep in mind that Germany had a much more difficult time replacing losses—both human and materiel losses—than the Allies did. So every soldier lost in an invasion of Britain was a soldier that couldn’t be replaced, couldn't fight in Russia, couldn't defend Germany from the Russians, and couldn't defend North Africa or Italy from the Americans.
The Americans, compared with Germany (and Japan, btw) had a near-unlimited supply of manpower and equipment. The United States was simply too big and too industrialized. And once Germany decided not to invade Britain, thereby leaving Britain as a staging ground for invasion of the Continent, they were doomed. Stuck between the Russians in the east and the British/American forces in the west, the Germans simply had no chance. The Germans put up a brave and effective fight given their lack of manpower and resources, thereby lengthening the war, but lengthening the war was all they ever could do. The outcome of the war, once Germany decided not to invade Britain, simply was not in doubt.
I certainly don't mean to say that winning WWII was easy, not by any means. Indeed the Allies were always going to win precisely because they were willing to work hard, endure hardship, and make the sacrifices necessary to defeat Germany and Japan. And I know that it's only with the hindsight of history that we can say with any confidence that the Allies were destined to win. At the time, the contemporaries had plenty of reasons for doubt and despair as they didn't have access to the whole picture like we do today. But Father Goldman, I think, realized that Germany was doomed to lose as early as the summer of 1943, when he was sneaking through the mountains of Italy and observing thousands upon thousands of Allied troops landing and marching northward, witnessing row upon row of Allied tanks and artillery lined up on the plains and beaches. Goldman commented at one point that he thought the German Army in Italy was outnumbered ten-to-one in manpower and a hundred-to-one in materiel. While in reality the situation might not have been that lopsided, it was still pretty lopsided. Many German units, their well trained paratroopers in particular, put up a hell of a fight, but all they did was slow the inevitable advance of the Allied juggernaut reaching up the Italian boot.
Conclusion
So what does one say about The Shadow of His Wings? Again, this book really is inspiring and moving in the true sense of those words, clichés notwithstanding. Father Goldman is a remarkable man who has done a tremendous amount of good in the world under the most difficult of circumstances, and you don't have to be a Roman Catholic, or even a Christian more generally, to think so. He is an example of the best that humanity has to offer, and someone we all should strive to emulate, if not in faith than at least in acts of kindness and self-sacrifice. We can all cling to our own faiths and find our own meaning from the spiritual realm, but I don't think anyone could deny that the world would be a much better place—for people of all faiths and cultures—if more of us lived out a life of love like Father Goldman.
December 28, 2012
Completely inspiring! Amazing and believable at the same time. Goldman is no cookie-cutter saint.
August 5, 2021
If this were a film script, I'm willing to bet people would say the life of Father Gereon Goldmann is so ridiculously twisty that it's too much to be believable. If not for all the proof (pictures, documents, witnesses), I would've thought this was fiction as well.
One of an all-male brood of a devout Catholic couple, he grew up rambuctious and active in Germany in the pre-WWII days, and as part of discipline and practising their faith, he was sent to serve as altar boy and Mass helper at the local monastery church, where he developed a desire to become a priest when he grew up. In consequence, he entered the seminary when he came of age, but then WWII started and he was drafted before he could finish his studies, ending up with a bunch of other seminarians in the SS. There, he became a thorn in the flesh for officers and enlisted alike, but especially the former, for his combativeness and penchant for arguing faith and theology points, constantly under attack from the fervent Nazis amongst the troops. Due to numerous verbal clashes with his superiors, he was then sent back to the Wehrmacht (but retaining his SS membership as they didn't expel him as much as "relocate" him) to serve as a combat medic, as he wouldn't bear arms himself. This part of his story reminded me a lot of Desmond Doss's, told in Redemption at Hacksaw Ridge.
But, despite being good as a medic, his goal of becoming a priest never went away. Unlike the other armies, the Germans didn't have chaplains in plentiful supply. Entire divisions were deployed without one. At one point, fighting in Italy, Goldmann was made to realise that a lot of the wounded and dying needed care for their souls as much as for their wounds. What was a simple seminarian with no holy orders going to do? Go hunt for a priest and bring him back to tend to the dying, of course. And Goldmann didn't stop at anything in his single-minded mission, going as far as getting a Bishop's... er, cooperation at Luger-point. He never got a chaplain, but instead got official authorisation to give communion to the dying in the battlefield. Eventually, he also got special dispensation from Pope Pius XII to get ordained a priest without completion of his studies given the special circumstances.
As Father Gereon, he experienced so many adventures with the retreating Wehrmacht in the last years of the war, until a mission he was sent on by an officer resulted in his being captured, and then sent to POW camps in North Africa, where he stayed till the end of the war. As camp chaplain, his life was made all the more difficult by those POWs in leadership positions who were embittered by the outcome of the war and took it out on him and others that sought spiritual food in the camp. The manner in which he was liberated in the end, after being falsely accused of being the former Commandant of Dachau, the notorious concentration camp that had a barracks just for clerics due to the high number of them imprisoned there, is something you'll have to read to find out.
The Shadow of His Wings is an unusual memoir, filled with very unusual events lived by an unusual man. I picked it up when looking to answer the question of what could've possibly made devout Churchmen join the SS given its nature and crimes, and I got more than an answer to my question; I got an engrossing true story, and learnt some historical details I wasn't previously aware of.
One of an all-male brood of a devout Catholic couple, he grew up rambuctious and active in Germany in the pre-WWII days, and as part of discipline and practising their faith, he was sent to serve as altar boy and Mass helper at the local monastery church, where he developed a desire to become a priest when he grew up. In consequence, he entered the seminary when he came of age, but then WWII started and he was drafted before he could finish his studies, ending up with a bunch of other seminarians in the SS. There, he became a thorn in the flesh for officers and enlisted alike, but especially the former, for his combativeness and penchant for arguing faith and theology points, constantly under attack from the fervent Nazis amongst the troops. Due to numerous verbal clashes with his superiors, he was then sent back to the Wehrmacht (but retaining his SS membership as they didn't expel him as much as "relocate" him) to serve as a combat medic, as he wouldn't bear arms himself. This part of his story reminded me a lot of Desmond Doss's, told in Redemption at Hacksaw Ridge.
But, despite being good as a medic, his goal of becoming a priest never went away. Unlike the other armies, the Germans didn't have chaplains in plentiful supply. Entire divisions were deployed without one. At one point, fighting in Italy, Goldmann was made to realise that a lot of the wounded and dying needed care for their souls as much as for their wounds. What was a simple seminarian with no holy orders going to do? Go hunt for a priest and bring him back to tend to the dying, of course. And Goldmann didn't stop at anything in his single-minded mission, going as far as getting a Bishop's... er, cooperation at Luger-point. He never got a chaplain, but instead got official authorisation to give communion to the dying in the battlefield. Eventually, he also got special dispensation from Pope Pius XII to get ordained a priest without completion of his studies given the special circumstances.
As Father Gereon, he experienced so many adventures with the retreating Wehrmacht in the last years of the war, until a mission he was sent on by an officer resulted in his being captured, and then sent to POW camps in North Africa, where he stayed till the end of the war. As camp chaplain, his life was made all the more difficult by those POWs in leadership positions who were embittered by the outcome of the war and took it out on him and others that sought spiritual food in the camp. The manner in which he was liberated in the end, after being falsely accused of being the former Commandant of Dachau, the notorious concentration camp that had a barracks just for clerics due to the high number of them imprisoned there, is something you'll have to read to find out.
The Shadow of His Wings is an unusual memoir, filled with very unusual events lived by an unusual man. I picked it up when looking to answer the question of what could've possibly made devout Churchmen join the SS given its nature and crimes, and I got more than an answer to my question; I got an engrossing true story, and learnt some historical details I wasn't previously aware of.
October 8, 2016
Durante muchos años tuve en la mira leer este libro.
Por fin he podido leerlo y ha superado mis expectativas, ya que además de disfrutar la visión que narra en primera persona el Fr. Gereon Goldman sobre su participación en la Alemania Nazi y la segunda Guerra Mundial, este relato me recordó cómo cosas que parecen imposibles, pueden salir adelante cuando se unen la confianza en Dios y la mano del hombre.
Este libro relata a detalle cómo la oración, la Fe y la acción fueron las tres herramientas del Fr. Goldman a lo largo de su vida.
Si no lo has leído, ¡corre por tu copia y no termines el año si leerlo!.
Por fin he podido leerlo y ha superado mis expectativas, ya que además de disfrutar la visión que narra en primera persona el Fr. Gereon Goldman sobre su participación en la Alemania Nazi y la segunda Guerra Mundial, este relato me recordó cómo cosas que parecen imposibles, pueden salir adelante cuando se unen la confianza en Dios y la mano del hombre.
Este libro relata a detalle cómo la oración, la Fe y la acción fueron las tres herramientas del Fr. Goldman a lo largo de su vida.
Si no lo has leído, ¡corre por tu copia y no termines el año si leerlo!.
March 23, 2008
I'm a sucker for triumph of the human spirit stories, even more so when they are based on a real person's life. This is one such book. Fr. Goldmann was a Franciscan seminarian who was drafted into the SS military (Hitler's army) at the start of WWII. Even while serving in an evil regime, by God's grace, he managed to minister to those around him of the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. Against all odds, Father made it out of the war alive and was immediately ordained to the priesthood. The heroic adventures of Fr. Goldmann detailed in this book are nothing short of miraculous.
February 7, 2018
Libro super recomendable por el testimonio de vida de este hombre, otro más que sería merecedor de una película de Hollywood.
Especialmente impactante es el relato sobre sus vivencias durante la IIGM, primero como experto en telecomunicaciones, y luego como médico, y cómo por encima de todo valora siempre la dignidad de la vida humana, por encima de bandos y rivalidades, intentando siempre facilitar el sustento espiritual a sus compañeros y heridos.
La segunda parte, donde ya es ordenado sacerdote y ejerce su ministerio en diferentes campos de trabajo para alemanes tras la finalización de la guerra, también tiene muchísimo contenido y está lleno de frutos de conversión pero también de cruces.
La última parte, ya como misionero y párroco en Japón, es la de los frutos sin fin y los "imposibles" hechos realidad en la comunidad que Dios pone bajo su cuidado.
Como nota final, destacar el patriotismo que rezuma por muchas de sus páginas; está orgulloso de ser alemán, pero no de pertenecer a un sistema diabólico como era el nazi del III Reich. Y ante todo, orgulloso de su fe católica y comprometido con la salvación de las almas que Dios ha puesto a su alrededor.
Especialmente impactante es el relato sobre sus vivencias durante la IIGM, primero como experto en telecomunicaciones, y luego como médico, y cómo por encima de todo valora siempre la dignidad de la vida humana, por encima de bandos y rivalidades, intentando siempre facilitar el sustento espiritual a sus compañeros y heridos.
La segunda parte, donde ya es ordenado sacerdote y ejerce su ministerio en diferentes campos de trabajo para alemanes tras la finalización de la guerra, también tiene muchísimo contenido y está lleno de frutos de conversión pero también de cruces.
La última parte, ya como misionero y párroco en Japón, es la de los frutos sin fin y los "imposibles" hechos realidad en la comunidad que Dios pone bajo su cuidado.
Como nota final, destacar el patriotismo que rezuma por muchas de sus páginas; está orgulloso de ser alemán, pero no de pertenecer a un sistema diabólico como era el nazi del III Reich. Y ante todo, orgulloso de su fe católica y comprometido con la salvación de las almas que Dios ha puesto a su alrededor.
December 31, 2012
Disgusted by this author. Amid the horrors of WWII that he witnessed as a purported Catholic & seminarian, his primary motivation was to get ordained. He describes buying up Rosaries and other Sacramentals while he was in the S.S. in France since the French were selling them & he sent them back to his friends (who could no longer get them in Germany). Never did he help any of those suffering amid the Nazi occupation. He uses deceit and more lies to get ordained. Even talks many times of being in Italy and putting guns to the heads of priests to give him the Eucharist under threats to kill them so he can distribute the Eucharist on the battlefield to Germans. His methods were awful. When he gets captured, he finally says admits to being a priest when he wants better treatment from the Allies. When I think of what all those innocent people suffered under the Nazis & contrast how this author lived for himself vs. the heroic ones who helped others, I regret spending anything for this book.
August 7, 2011
This is a great book about a boy growing up in Nazi Germany and standing up to the Nazi's and being a real hero by not compromising moral integrity in the face of a greater evil than most people can even imagine. It shows how to stand for the truth in the face of evil and fully rely on God. I highly recommend this reading book!
March 22, 2012
I found it so incredible that I doubted at first that it could possibly be true. I am now convnced it certainly is. A wonderful book inspiring others to have the faith and fortitude which can in any circumstances, adverse as those of the protaganist were, bring happiness and the kind of satisfastion so many people would like to have.
May 4, 2015
A friend had loaned me this book quite some time ago and being I wasn't given a due date... well I kinda let it lay for a while. So I finally got the chance to start reading it, and from the first few pages, I was hooked. It was certainly an action packed, exciting book! I should have not waited that long :p
Would totally recommend it.
Would totally recommend it.
March 8, 2011
Awesome! Well-written, story flows well. Reading how his faith, others' prayers, etc. - overall Divine Providence - saved his life and changed others again and again. I've passed it on to my mom, then I'm loaning it to our pastor.
February 27, 2023
Father Gereon Karl Goldman, O.F.M. was most definitely not the average, run of the mill Catholic priest. In 1939 he was drafted into the SS. And this incredible book tells his story written by him and published in 1964.
Father Goldman was born in 1916 in Fulda, Germany. Evidently this small, tight knit community was heavily Catholic. Gereon Goldman knew he wanted to be a priest even as a young boy. Just prior to WW2 he entered the Franciscan Seminary. Unfortunately for him and Europe the Second World War began in 1939.
Although never a Nazi, Gereon Goldman was recruited for the SS. However, Goldman did not measure up to the rigorous SS standards. Consequently he was transferred into the Wehrmacht and trained as a medic.
Not once during the War did Goldman fire his weapon. Repeatedly, therefore he was disciplined for his inactions before the enemy. And because of good luck, fate or Divine Intervention Goldman's death sentences were never carried out.
Just prior to the end of the War Goldman was captured by the French Army. The French were not benevolent in their treatment of Goldman. Even though Goldman never received the traditional tattoo of other SS men, the French already knew that he was a member of the dreaded and feared Group.
Even after the War the French refused to release Goldman. He was transferred to various prison camps in Africa and elsewhere. Each camp was worst than the one before.
With Pope Pius X11's intervention Goldman was finally released. He was eventually ordained into the Franciscan Order.
This story of Father Goldman was truly inspiring to read. How a man could undergo such harsh treatment in the War after the War as a POW, and never lose his faith is remarkable.
Father Goldman was born in 1916 in Fulda, Germany. Evidently this small, tight knit community was heavily Catholic. Gereon Goldman knew he wanted to be a priest even as a young boy. Just prior to WW2 he entered the Franciscan Seminary. Unfortunately for him and Europe the Second World War began in 1939.
Although never a Nazi, Gereon Goldman was recruited for the SS. However, Goldman did not measure up to the rigorous SS standards. Consequently he was transferred into the Wehrmacht and trained as a medic.
Not once during the War did Goldman fire his weapon. Repeatedly, therefore he was disciplined for his inactions before the enemy. And because of good luck, fate or Divine Intervention Goldman's death sentences were never carried out.
Just prior to the end of the War Goldman was captured by the French Army. The French were not benevolent in their treatment of Goldman. Even though Goldman never received the traditional tattoo of other SS men, the French already knew that he was a member of the dreaded and feared Group.
Even after the War the French refused to release Goldman. He was transferred to various prison camps in Africa and elsewhere. Each camp was worst than the one before.
With Pope Pius X11's intervention Goldman was finally released. He was eventually ordained into the Franciscan Order.
This story of Father Goldman was truly inspiring to read. How a man could undergo such harsh treatment in the War after the War as a POW, and never lose his faith is remarkable.
May 16, 2025
He Leadeth Me : God’s will :: The Shadow of His Wings : God’s providence
side note but the sisters that are featured in this book are WILD in the best ways
side note but the sisters that are featured in this book are WILD in the best ways
November 28, 2019
A remarkable memoir of a German soldier/Catholic priest during WW2. He grew up in a devout Catholic family; his mother died when he was a young boy. The Nazis came to power as he approached adulthood, and he was drafted first into the Wehrmacht and then into the SS. Talk about being thrown into a den of lions! At first he was able to stay under the radar, so to speak, but it wasn’t long until he was put on the spot, and he had to either deny his faith or oppose the Nazi philosophy. Because he spoke and lived his faith, he was expelled from the SS.
Eventually he became a medic. He traveled through Europe with the Army, but it was in Italy that his adventures really began. During all this time, he was actively pursuing his dream of becoming a priest. He received a dispensation to give Last Rites, and he had a lot of opportunities to do so in Italy. After he was captured by the Allies, he was sent to various prison camps in Africa, most notably one called Ksar-es-Souk.
He was ordained as a priest without completing his studies, but he did finish his studies after the war. He had long wanted to be a missionary in Japan and this, too, was fulfilled.
Father Gereon was brash, courageous, and sometimes zealous to the point of foolhardiness. I noticed several reviewers commented that he never thought he was wrong. I didn’t get that impression; rather, I think that was so enthusiastic about his work that he refused to admit to any doubt. Furthermore, the narrative makes it clear he believed that because so many were praying for him, he was carrying out God’s will.
My favorite part of the entire book is the Christmas celebration at the Ksar-es-Souk camp. The narrative is strictly bare-bones: “we did this, we went there,” and his writing is far from poetic. However the description of that Christmas is truly beautiful; I could almost see the candlelit chapel.
I’ve read many WW2 memoirs, but I cannot recall reading another one from the German perspective. I know that I tend to lump all German soldiers and Nazis into the same group, but this book gives me sympathy for the many good Germans who were thrust into situations they didn’t ask for, and there were true Christians among the German soldiers. Life is rarely black and white! I was impressed that Father Gereon was able to remain a loyal German while opposing the Nazi regime and yet remain true to his faith at the same time.
Highly recommended.
Eventually he became a medic. He traveled through Europe with the Army, but it was in Italy that his adventures really began. During all this time, he was actively pursuing his dream of becoming a priest. He received a dispensation to give Last Rites, and he had a lot of opportunities to do so in Italy. After he was captured by the Allies, he was sent to various prison camps in Africa, most notably one called Ksar-es-Souk.
He was ordained as a priest without completing his studies, but he did finish his studies after the war. He had long wanted to be a missionary in Japan and this, too, was fulfilled.
Father Gereon was brash, courageous, and sometimes zealous to the point of foolhardiness. I noticed several reviewers commented that he never thought he was wrong. I didn’t get that impression; rather, I think that was so enthusiastic about his work that he refused to admit to any doubt. Furthermore, the narrative makes it clear he believed that because so many were praying for him, he was carrying out God’s will.
My favorite part of the entire book is the Christmas celebration at the Ksar-es-Souk camp. The narrative is strictly bare-bones: “we did this, we went there,” and his writing is far from poetic. However the description of that Christmas is truly beautiful; I could almost see the candlelit chapel.
I’ve read many WW2 memoirs, but I cannot recall reading another one from the German perspective. I know that I tend to lump all German soldiers and Nazis into the same group, but this book gives me sympathy for the many good Germans who were thrust into situations they didn’t ask for, and there were true Christians among the German soldiers. Life is rarely black and white! I was impressed that Father Gereon was able to remain a loyal German while opposing the Nazi regime and yet remain true to his faith at the same time.
Highly recommended.
May 20, 2019
The life-story of this Franciscan would simply be too incredible, too far-fetched for any novelist to write. In virtually every place in these memoirs, Goldmann relates how the impossible happened to him. By the end, one grasps Christ's words, that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
Goldmann was a seminary student in Germany when Hitler came to power. He was fiercely independent, incredibly intelligent, and of a strong, tall build - a perfect candidate for the elite SS divisions. Yet as a member of the SS, Goldmann detested the Nazis and remained a pious and outspoken Christian. This raised the eyebrows of Himmler himself, who, after a meeting with Goldmann, seemed to like him and strove to protect him. After some time in the SS, Goldmann was kicked out and joined the Wehrmacht as a medical non-com. His adventures took him from Poland to France to Russia to Sicily to Italy to North Africa to Japan. During World War II he remained a German soldier, ministering to his brothers-in-arms and to civilians in other lands. The stories of trial and hardship, persecution and suffering, are too stunning to blandly recount in this review.
What I will conclude with, is Goldmann's overall point in these memoirs: it has to be the incomprehensibly great power of prayer. From the beginning of his ministry to the end, humble monks, nuns, priests, and laypeople prayed for him and God worked through him to accomplish remarkable feats. Just the number of times he escaped death - from Nazi judges, British bullets, American bombs, and French guards - is unimaginable. Prayer sustained him and secret prayers saved his life. Prayer built his congregations and secret prayers won enemies over to Christ.
This is an inspirational read and, though it is terse, is engaging from beginning to end. Truly, "God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Goldmann was a seminary student in Germany when Hitler came to power. He was fiercely independent, incredibly intelligent, and of a strong, tall build - a perfect candidate for the elite SS divisions. Yet as a member of the SS, Goldmann detested the Nazis and remained a pious and outspoken Christian. This raised the eyebrows of Himmler himself, who, after a meeting with Goldmann, seemed to like him and strove to protect him. After some time in the SS, Goldmann was kicked out and joined the Wehrmacht as a medical non-com. His adventures took him from Poland to France to Russia to Sicily to Italy to North Africa to Japan. During World War II he remained a German soldier, ministering to his brothers-in-arms and to civilians in other lands. The stories of trial and hardship, persecution and suffering, are too stunning to blandly recount in this review.
What I will conclude with, is Goldmann's overall point in these memoirs: it has to be the incomprehensibly great power of prayer. From the beginning of his ministry to the end, humble monks, nuns, priests, and laypeople prayed for him and God worked through him to accomplish remarkable feats. Just the number of times he escaped death - from Nazi judges, British bullets, American bombs, and French guards - is unimaginable. Prayer sustained him and secret prayers saved his life. Prayer built his congregations and secret prayers won enemies over to Christ.
This is an inspirational read and, though it is terse, is engaging from beginning to end. Truly, "God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
January 20, 2017
How on earth can you be a good Franciscan priest and an SS lieutenant? Well that was the dilemma forced upon young seminarian Gereon Goldmann when he was drafted into the SS at the beginning of World War II. How could he serve both Church and State when the State was run by such an evil force? Part of the answer lay in Goldmann’s character. He was a strong willed, feisty man. But the other part of the answer lay in the hands of a powerful intercessor. Years earlier following the death of Gereon’s mother, Sister Solana May promised the eight year old boy that she would take the place of his mother. Her lifelong fidelity to Gereon through prayer and sacrifice was truly heroic. In turn it enabled him also to be a heroic Franciscan priest who brought souls to God when they most needed it.
This is an astounding story of courage, strength and incredible miracles. What’s more it is a masterclass in upholding your Christian beliefs in the face of monstrous opposition. Even when evil is so tangibly close, it is possible to bear witness to the Truth. Furthermore, behind this great man was an equally great woman - truly inspirational.
This is an astounding story of courage, strength and incredible miracles. What’s more it is a masterclass in upholding your Christian beliefs in the face of monstrous opposition. Even when evil is so tangibly close, it is possible to bear witness to the Truth. Furthermore, behind this great man was an equally great woman - truly inspirational.
April 3, 2017
I couldn't get through this book and ended up skimming the last fourth. I feel kind of strange about it since there are so many good ratings, but I wasn't engaged.
The writing was pretty poor, which I would accept from a non-professional writer (for example, the excellent With God In Russia by Cizhek), but a couple of things bothered me. First, Father Goldmann was never wrong about anything and I felt him to be a somewhat grating narrator. Second, some of his actions were highly questionable. Holding guns to priests' heads in order to get the Eucharist to pass out to wounded soldiers? It's admirable that he wanted to help the wounded, but not by extortion.
Then, when he meets the pope, he has the document from a bishop that allows him to carry the consecrated host (which he got by waving his gun around), but he fails to mention the method in which he gained the document. The pope allows him to become a priest and study theology after the fact. I wonder what the pope would have done had he known the whole story...
The writing was pretty poor, which I would accept from a non-professional writer (for example, the excellent With God In Russia by Cizhek), but a couple of things bothered me. First, Father Goldmann was never wrong about anything and I felt him to be a somewhat grating narrator. Second, some of his actions were highly questionable. Holding guns to priests' heads in order to get the Eucharist to pass out to wounded soldiers? It's admirable that he wanted to help the wounded, but not by extortion.
Then, when he meets the pope, he has the document from a bishop that allows him to carry the consecrated host (which he got by waving his gun around), but he fails to mention the method in which he gained the document. The pope allows him to become a priest and study theology after the fact. I wonder what the pope would have done had he known the whole story...
June 23, 2009
Inspiring biography of a priest-in-training pulled into service during WWII by the Nazis. The miraculous was everywhere as he weaved his was through the war as a Sercret Servie agent. Tremendously devoted to God and humanity, but not wihtout his prickly side, Goldmann provides an uncommonly solid example for everyone seeking a higher path through the world. It is tedious in places and does not measure up to the spiritual classics, but it does provide a unique angle on a historical moment of terror.
Note: Received as a confirmation gift from Hank DeGoede.
Note: Received as a confirmation gift from Hank DeGoede.
April 13, 2013
What an incredible true story of a Francisican seminarian who was drafted into the SS. The story tells Goldmann's journey to priesthood despite obstacle after obstacle. The book provides example after remarkable example of how the power of prayer and the power of the Eucharist repeatedly won over the evils associated with war.
October 2, 2009
This story is truly amazing. It is about a German seminarian who is drafted into the Nazi army when the seminary is shut down at the beginning of WWII and how the man is able to not only avoid committing evil, but use this situation to do tremendous good. You won't be able to put it down.
October 19, 2009
An inspirational biography about a blessed man who should be canonized. He served the human race with perserverance and determination to make a difference - despite what the environment and obstacles. Faith Hope and Charity personified.
December 15, 2017
A stirring account of the life of Fr. Gereon Goldmann, a German Catholic SS soldier who works through incredible circumstances to serve out his calling.
November 27, 2022
Fr. Goldmann’s life is an almost unbelievable witness to the power of prayer and the work God can do with a single life. His account of deliverance from many occasions of certain death during WWII simply reinforces the truth that God is still working powerfully through those who call upon Him. Possibly even more incredible is Fr. Goldmann’s desire to continue on mission, even after the trials of the war. The works he accomplished for Catholic missions in Japan and India have impacted so many more than even those he reached during the war.
I believe everyone should read this book - Catholic, Christian, or otherwise. God IS real, and it is important to share the stories of those He has blessed. Anyone can understand a true story, and this book is full of them - telling the truth about one of the greatest, and yet most humble, men of our age. I am thankful someone told me I “had to read” this book - and if you’ve just finished it, I’d encourage you to pass it to someone new in your life too!
I believe everyone should read this book - Catholic, Christian, or otherwise. God IS real, and it is important to share the stories of those He has blessed. Anyone can understand a true story, and this book is full of them - telling the truth about one of the greatest, and yet most humble, men of our age. I am thankful someone told me I “had to read” this book - and if you’ve just finished it, I’d encourage you to pass it to someone new in your life too!
January 14, 2025
Excellent history of goodness and Providence for a seminarian within the ranks of the German army during World War II, and how God can overcome the atrocities committed by both sides through the power of faith, prayer, simple goodness of heart, and a desire to help others find salvation.
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March 24, 2025Unbelievable-God must have wanted him to live because every other chapter he was getting interrogated/imprisoned/shot at. Thanks to Sr. Seraphim for the rec!
May 21, 2025
“A love letter to the Lord’s providence” - kelly lloveras
April 24, 2020
I read the abridged version with 167 pages. I wish I had to full version because it was a captivating story of a German man who became a priest during WWII with the permission of the Pope. He then spent several years as a prisoner in various camps ministering to the other prisoners.
June 4, 2021
*SIGH* I really wanted to like this book; I looked forward to reading it with great anticipation, and sadly it was a great disappointment. Not to say that Fr. Goldmann didnt live through the war; he did indeed, but I feel like perhaps his recollections of what exactly happened might have been lost not only in the translation, but by the great expanse of time between the actual events and the penning of said events.
I just find it hard to believe that in the middle of the most brutal regime in the history of the world, working within the most fanatical aspect of said regime -the same regime that slaughtered priests & nuns by the score- that somehow Fr. Goldmann was allowed to do & say what he did, refuse orders & in general tell his superiors in the Schutzstaffel that he would not uphold the oath that all SS members were obligated to swear to, let alone the claim that he said this directly in a letter to Himmler and somehow lived.
Perhaps he did what he says, but it does not take away from the fact that this book is poorly written and seems utterly fantastical.
I just find it hard to believe that in the middle of the most brutal regime in the history of the world, working within the most fanatical aspect of said regime -the same regime that slaughtered priests & nuns by the score- that somehow Fr. Goldmann was allowed to do & say what he did, refuse orders & in general tell his superiors in the Schutzstaffel that he would not uphold the oath that all SS members were obligated to swear to, let alone the claim that he said this directly in a letter to Himmler and somehow lived.
Perhaps he did what he says, but it does not take away from the fact that this book is poorly written and seems utterly fantastical.
Want to read
January 5, 2009Here is the astonishing true story of the harrowing experiences of a German seminarian drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS at the onset of WWII. Without betraying his Christian ideals, against all odds, and in the face of Evil, Goldmann was able to complete his priestly training, be ordained, and secretly minister to German Catholic soldiers and civilian victims caught up in the horrors of war. How it came to pass will astound you.
Father Goldmann tells his own incredible experiences of the trials of war, his many escapes from almost certain death, and the diabolical persecution that he and his fellow Catholic soldiers encountered on account of their faith. What emerges is an extraordinary witness to the workings of Divine Providence and the undying power of love, prayer, faith, and sacrifice.
Father Goldmann tells his own incredible experiences of the trials of war, his many escapes from almost certain death, and the diabolical persecution that he and his fellow Catholic soldiers encountered on account of their faith. What emerges is an extraordinary witness to the workings of Divine Providence and the undying power of love, prayer, faith, and sacrifice.
May 6, 2010
I listened to an abridged version of the book. It was part of the series "Catholic CD of the month", given to me by a fellow parishioner. I guess this is a CD for June.
The story highlights the value of integrity. Fr. Goldmann expressed his beliefs to the point that even his fellow seminarians wouldn't venture; and he was the only one of them who actually survived the war, although he had many hardships.
The power of prayer and faith is also a significant theme, and it's fantastic. A nun prayed for Goldmann for 20 years that he would be ordained a priest because he expressed such a desire to her. Goldmann did not believe it was possible, because of the disruption of the war. But it worked! I don't want to spoil the details.
I still want to read the book in full, since this was an abridgement. It was very good.
The story highlights the value of integrity. Fr. Goldmann expressed his beliefs to the point that even his fellow seminarians wouldn't venture; and he was the only one of them who actually survived the war, although he had many hardships.
The power of prayer and faith is also a significant theme, and it's fantastic. A nun prayed for Goldmann for 20 years that he would be ordained a priest because he expressed such a desire to her. Goldmann did not believe it was possible, because of the disruption of the war. But it worked! I don't want to spoil the details.
I still want to read the book in full, since this was an abridgement. It was very good.
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