Prodigal Shepherd by Father John Doe and Al Hirshberg
Prodigal Shepherd
by Father John Doe and Al Hirshberg
First Printing — 1958
Hardcover with Original Dust Jacket
Description
This is an original First Printing (1958) of Prodigal Shepherd, the powerful and candid memoir of Father John Doe (the pseudonym of Father Ralph Pfau), written in collaboration with journalist Al Hirshberg.
Prodigal Shepherd tells the extraordinary true story of a Catholic priest whose struggle with alcoholism—and ultimate recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous—led him to become the first Catholic priest to join A.A. and one of its most influential early spiritual allies.
About the Book
Ordained after years of intense spiritual struggle and self-doubt, Father Pfau did not take his first drink until a year after entering the priesthood. What followed was a slow, insidious descent—marked not by public scandal, but by inner collapse. Though he continued to function outwardly, he endured nervous breakdowns, repeated institutionalization, and removal from parish assignments.
Like many alcoholics of his era, Father Pfau believed he was a “social drinker”—never drinking before noon and never passing out—yet his life steadily unraveled.
It was only after encountering Alcoholics Anonymous that he was able to clearly identify alcoholism as his central problem. Initially attending meetings merely out of curiosity, he soon recognized AA as the missing answer. With the approval of his Archbishop, he formally joined AA and committed his life to helping other alcoholics.
Historical & Recovery Significance
After achieving sobriety, Father Pfau became a tireless advocate for recovery, traveling more than 50,000 miles a year to speak at AA meetings, conduct spiritual retreats, counsel alcoholics and their families, and help bridge understanding between AA and religious institutions.
His story helped soften resistance to AA within Catholic circles and demonstrated that AA’s spiritual principles could harmonize with religious faith rather than conflict with it.
Written with remarkable honesty, Prodigal Shepherd stands as one of the earliest and most influential accounts of clergy recovery through AA.
Condition
Book: Very Good condition. Clean interior. No writing, markings, or underlining. Tight binding.
Dust Jacket: Original jacket present. Wear consistent with age.
Please review all photographs carefully for exact condition details.
