In these days of testing and sifting of wheat, priests are under more pressure than they have been for many generations in the Church. There is confusion and hardship all about; the collapse of vocations has put more demand on each individual priest, and the moral decay in our society has places an ever greater burden on their shoulders to preach and witness to the truth of the Gospel. It hardly seems that each priest can cope with his awesome responsibility before God. And yet, it is certain that God will provide the graces and strengths necessary for each in his own place. The question is whether a priest himself will respond—and nothing is more essential for a priest to do this than for him to pray. Yet it seems when priests need most to have a powerful interior life, there is little support for their continuing formation and spiritual edification.

In Retreat Companion for Priests, Fr. Francis P. Havey, a 19th/20th century priest of the Sulpician order who taught at seminaries and was responsible for the formation of many priests, guides the sons of Our Lord through retreats centered on His infinite love and the extraordinary witness required of priests in their vocation to become a channel of this love to the faithful. First published in 1946, this book addresses every aspect of a priest's life and his deep spiritual needs, problems, and responsibilities. Fr. Havey covers in full many topics neglected in other books like it—as one would expect, given his specialty. A valuable treasure, Fr. Havey's guide for priests is one of a kind, a true treasure for priests to continue to hold fast to the vocation to which they were called.