Fr. Joseph C. Martin, RIP
I hadn’t heard of the Sulpician priest Joseph Martin until I read his obituary in the New York Times today. But he is another example of a priest who used the moral authority of his position — and his own experience of being human — to make Christ known in the world.
The Rev. Joseph C. Martin, whose battle with alcoholism inspired him to become a national leader in the fight against the disease by speaking, writing books, making videos and starting a treatment center, died March 9 at his home in Havre de Grace, Md. He was 84.
…Father Martin first became widely known through a talk he gave on the 12 steps of recovery propounded by Alcoholics Anonymous. He sometimes began with a preface similar to the one every alcoholic uses to address meetings of the organization, changing it to give his full name: “My name is Joe Martin, and I’m an alcoholic.”
In talking about the many lives Fr. Martin touched in his ministry, the article quotes one woman who recalled her reaction after hearing him speak: “He removed the shame from me.” If that’s not acting in persona Christi, I don’t know what is.
I don’t know whether Fr. Martin was Irish (he sure looks it!), but of course, you don’t have to be Irish to identify with his family history of alcohol abuse and be grateful for his witness in recovery. Reading his story on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day reminds me to pray for the intercession of my own favorite Irish saint, Venerable Matt Talbot, that everyone who struggles with addiction may find the path to wholeness and know that they are loved.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody. Have fun, and be safe!
My primary job in the U.S. Navy in the five years I served (1971-76) — before I was honorably discharged as a conscientious objector (more on this another time) — was as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor. We used, as an educational tool for our young sailors and Marines sent to us, a video called “Chalk Talk on Alcoholism” which featured Fr. Joe Martin standing in front of a chalkboard, talking to an unseen audience about alcoholism, sprinkled with jokes that I continue to tell these 40 years later. Not only was his wit and wisdom about the scourge of alcoholism right on the mark and served as a warning for our young servicemen, but it also was a rather subversive evangelizing “tool” for Catholics in a very secularized U.S. Navy!
Thanks for letting us know about Father Joe Martin’s death. Years ago I had good friend by the name of Michael who was a recovering alcoholic and Irish. He died sober about 21 years ago. Michael had a wicked sense of humor. While he was still alive, he enjoyed telling his friends that his favorite Irish saint was St. Dymphna and then reminding us that she is the patron of nervous disorders. That was all a long time ago. Today on St. Patrick’s Day, it is good to remember Fr. Joe Martin and my old friend Michael.
I took a class from Fr. Martin while at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He could speak about his “disease” with a lot of humor. He told us that after Communion, when the priest would cleanse the chalice, he used to make the altar boy use unconsecrated wine instead of water… Then He would fill it to the very top, drink it, and have the server re-fill it.
He was quite and inspiration to all of us.
A reference was noted for the Venerable Matt Talbot. For more extensive information about Matt, go to http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com and http://www.matt-talbot.com