Book gives voice to Catholic Church’s hidden children

At 27 years old, Vincent Doyle learned that his father had been a priest – discovering the man whom he had always known and loved as his godfather had been forced by unforgiving circumstances to hide his true identity from the son he loved dearly.

From that moment, Vincent, who is originally from Longford but who relocated to Galway City soon after this discovery, set about campaigning for children born to members of the clergy.

Vincent, through his charity Coping International, has made contact with thousands of ‘secret children’ and has now written a book on that process, exploring the supports these children require, and the changes that must occur so that children of the ordained don’t have to suffer what has been described as ‘internalised shame’.

In his book, Our Fathers: A Phenomenon of Children of Catholic Priests and Religious, Vincent examines what is a global issue through the lenses of sociology, psychology and theology – Vincent is a practising psychotherapist and studied theology while he spent a time in the Seminary in Maynooth, before deciding the priesthood wasn’t for him.

Although not knowing his true identity, Vincent had a close relationship with his father and spent a lot of time with him before his death when Vincent was just 12 years old. But the thousands of children of clergy worldwide have all had unique experiences which have left a mark on their lives in different ways.

Now living in Castlerea, Vincent spent seven years in Galway and was the Chaplain at Coláiste Iognáid (the Jes) while living in the city.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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