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James Martin, S.J.January 18, 2013

 

Here is some great news! After almost a year of planning and preparation, America Press has released today a brand-new Kindle edition of the classic memoir With God in Russia, by Servant of God Walter Ciszek, SJ, whose cause for canonization has just been announced. (America Press was the original publisher of the work and holds the copyright: a print edition of the book is in the works.) The new edition includes not only the original text by Father Ciszek and the original introduction by Thurston Davis, SJ, editor of America at the time (who met Fr. Ciszek at Idlewild Airport upon his return from the Soviet Union), but also, an absolutely marvelous essay by Daniel L. Flaherty, SJ, on how he came to help write the book with Father Ciszek. Also, I contributed a spiritual reflection that now serves as the book's new introduction. The new edition of With God in Russia is now available on Kindle, and I know that admirers of Father Ciszek will be especially interested in Father Flaherty's fascinating writing of the book with his friend "Wally." 

AMDG!

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michael iwanowicz
11 years 2 months ago
This is indeed an extraordinary memoir of faith and belief in absolute stubborn practicality.
Bruce Snowden
11 years 2 months ago
It must be sixty years ago, at twenty-two, when I first read “With God In Russia” by the Servant of God, Jesuit priest Walter Ciszek, happily being republished . I want to re-read Fr. Ciszek’s story of Faith-heroism, his life a modern part of the Church’s “white” martyrology. It makes sense to me that anyone who sheds even one drop of blood for Christ is effectively a martyr and Venerable Fr. Ciszek for sure shed more than one drop of his blood in beatings and body drudgery in that Communist prison camp! In God’s own way and in God’s own time when beatification happens, white, not red vestments will be used at Mass, but as far as I’m concerned the white will have streaks of red! I don’t remember much detail of Father Ciszek’s time in prison, except that it was filled with tremendous physical, psychological and spiritual suffering, so overwhelming that at one point the Servant of God was driven to the brink of despair and contemplated physically harming himself. His strength of spirit fortified by the Divine Gifts of Courage and Fortitude, assured his practice of heroic virtue and he patiently endured. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem and with other saints he said “No!” In so doing he joined the company of Saint Joseph Libermann, who admitted that crossing the many bridges in Parish was for him a struggle, as the compulsion to jump over the railing was ever present! Saints are so human, thank God! When I reread his life, I’ll find out if Fr. Ciszek managed to celebrate Mass clandestinely which must have happened, as did Cardinal Francis Xavier Van Thuan, another prisoner for Christ by Vietnamese Communists, turning his cupped hand into a chalice, containing three drops of wine and one drop of water and a sliver of bread. The Saints are wonderful and I feel happy that the Servant of God, Walter Ciszek is among them! May he and (they) pray for us!
Bruce Snowden
11 years 2 months ago
In the nterests of accuracy I need to mention that "He Leadeth Me" not "With God In Russia" by the Servant of God Walter Ciszek, SJ, may be the information source for my above post. But I am not certain.

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