The Shepherd Who Didn't Run. Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda
“I am delighted that a biography of Father Stanley Rother is finally available and that many more people will be introduced to the heroic life and martyrdom of this Servant of God. His witness as a dedicated missionary and pastor is a gift to the Church in our time. María Ruiz Scaperlanda portrays his life with fidelity and warm admiration.”
“María Ruiz Scaperlanda has a long and well-deserved reputation as one of our finest Catholic journalists. She is a good storyteller, and she tells the story of Father Stanley Rother with sensitivity and intelligence, introducing us to a holy priest, a defender of the poor, and a missionary martyr of our times — one more shining light in the long history of holiness and heroism in the Americas.”
“I am very grateful for this excellently researched biography of a heroic American priest, Father Stanley Rother. He was ‘heroic’ in his love for his people, a love unto death. This faithful shepherd ‘who did not run’ was an inspiring example of the priesthood for our seminarians at Mount St. Mary’s. With this book, I pray many more seminarians and priests, as well as laity and religious, will be inspired by Father Stan’s missionary zeal and love for the poor.”
“The Church has long been waiting for a clear and concise account of the heroic life and martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother. María Ruiz Scaperlanda’s book more than fulfills that need. The author brings to life the faithful Servant of God, whose innate tenacity, devotion to the Church, and unbending fidelity to his flock resulted in a loving and redemptive witness to Christ.”
“María Ruiz Scaperlanda has done a fine job of drawing on historical and eyewitness sources to paint for us an accurate picture, not only of the events of Father Stanley Rother’s ministry and self-sacrificing death for the flock entrusted to his care, but also of Father Rother himself … a humble, holy, courageous priest who is a true St. John Vianney for our times. This book presents his story in a way that is sure to inspire.”
“Father Stan was a deeply human, eminently relatable man whose struggles and desires will resonate with anyone. To read his story, as is beautifully recounted in this book, is to be reminded that any of us can do great things through God’s grace.”
Jennifer Fulwiler, radio host and author of Something Other Than God
“Imbued with the values of hard work and community that characterize the American farmland, Father Stanley Rother’s life as a missionary priest models for Christians everywhere the powerful effect of grace that is teamed with action and commitment. His eventual martyrdom at the hands of Guatemalan guerrillas is a staggering reminder that a life of holiness, lived for Christ Jesus within a world of hurt, always means a sharing in his cross, his death, and his resurrection. The story of Father Stanley Rother is one that will resonate with Catholics, and with the world, particularly in the age of Pope Francis — a pope of grace and action. María Ruiz Scaperlanda has done a magnificent job of fleshing out a most ordinary man who lived a most extraordinary life, through his willingness to love, as Christ loved.”
Elizabeth Scalia, author of Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life (Ave Maria Press) and the upcoming Little Sins Mean a Lot (Our Sunday Visitor, 2016)
“In her tremendous new book, The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Father Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma, María Ruiz Scaperlanda brings us into close encounter with a heroic priest who will, God willing, soon be a canonized saint. We learn not only of Father Stanley’s valiant heroism in the moment of his martyrdom, but also of his life of service to a Church he loved and to her people, who greatly loved him for showing them the path to Christ. Reading this book helps each of us to answer the calling to a life of service in our own unique mission fields. A highly inspirational introduction to an amazing spiritual shepherd.”
Lisa M. Hendey, founder of CatholicMom.com and author of The Grace of Yes
“In this edifying and inspiring biography of Father Stanley Rother, priest, missionary, and martyr, the author draws us into the small town of Okarche, Oklahoma, and the village of Santiago Atitlán and unfolds one man’s faithful journey. She illustrates how God raises the faithful to the ranks of sanctity and how every small loving act of service deeply impacts lives. A must read.”
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, EWTN-TV host, speaker, and award-winning author of 20 books, including The Kiss of Jesus (www.donnacooperoboyle.com)
“Through vivid description and artful prose, María Ruiz Scaperlanda captures the faith and fortitude of a man who ministered with mercy to people on the margins. This book ensures that the memory of Father Stanley Rother, who gave his life for others, remains alive today.”
Kerry Weber, managing editor of America magazine and author of Mercy in the City
“The story of Father Stanley Francis Rother’s life and death is one that needs to be heard, especially as we witness increasing persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world, and María Ruiz Scaperlanda is just the person to tell this story. From the opening pages, it’s obvious that this book is a labor of love — in all the best ways. Thank you, María, for opening our hearts and minds to Father Rother’s extraordinary example of faith and trust and love.”
Mary DeTurris Poust, retreat leader and author of six books on Catholic spirituality, including Everyday Divine: A Catholic Guide to Active Spirituality
“The Holy Spirit reached through the prose of The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run and into my heart. Father Stanley Rother, an Oklahoma farm boy who gave his life to Christ and died for Christ, was, truly, a Servant of God. Can you imagine a more wonderful title to bear than that? We are all called to be Servants of God, each in the places where he has put us. María Ruiz Scaperlanda writes in clean prose that doesn’t get in the way of this story of a priest whom God lifted up to be his witness in life and his martyr in death. Father Rother’s story is a beacon pointing to the power of Holy Orders to refine ordinary men into instruments of grace.
“The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run is destined be a source book on Father Stanley Rother’s life. Like the life it shares with us, it is infused with the love of a true priest, a manly man, who lived the Beatitudes and was given the privilege of dying a martyr’s death. Father Rother’s life and death stand witness to what Jesus intended the priesthood to be when he instituted it in the Upper Room so long ago. The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run is a testament to his walk with Christ and to the servant priesthood of true priestly vocation that he exemplified.”
Former Oklahoma Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, blogger at Patheos.com and National Catholic Register (NCRegister.com)
“Father Stanley Rother’s love for the people he served pops off the page in this compelling biography by María Ruiz Scaperlanda. With a big heart open both to God and his flock, Rother was the type of priest I want to be and an inspiring Christian witness for our time.”
Michael Rossmann, S.J., editor in chief of The Jesuit Post (TheJesuitPost.org)
“Compelling! Once I picked up María Ruiz Scaperlanda’s The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run, I could not put it down. Her comprehensive