Throughout William Daly's childhood, priests would stay in his parental home on their quarterly visits to his isolated rural township while, years later, parish and seminary clergy would spend part of their holidays in his own country home. Thus the influence of priest on laity was something he came to appreciate and value over a long period. He sees this influence as a crucial need in today's Church, if it is to flourish into the next millennium. At the end of World War II, after service in the Australian Air Force in England, Daly visited Brussels, Paris, Lyons and Rome, getting to know such influential clergy as Msgr. Joseph Cardijn (later Cardinal) and meeting Msgr. Montini (later Pope Paul VI). He was active during the post-war years in an Australian branch of the international Serra Club which promotes vocations to priestly and religious life. He has also traveled widely in Ireland and England, and in Europe and the U.S.A.
Mr. Daly's new book argues for a renewal of the same type of closeness and sense of purpose between today's priests and Jesus Christ that existed between Jesus and the Twelve. It also brings into focus certain Scriptural and theological difficulties, and secular movements, which affect today's seminarians and priests. Jesus - Pivot of the Priesthood cultivates the goal of priests preparing to lead Christ's people to Heaven and to God, while helping to establish a Christian culture on earth. It is aimed, not only at priests and seminarians, but at those considering a vocation to the priesthood - and to all Catholics interested in strengthening and renewing the Catholic priesthood.