{"product_id":"prodigal-shepherd-by-father-john-doe-and-al-hirshberg-first-edition","title":"Prodigal Shepherd by Father John Doe and Al Hirshberg — First Edition","description":"\u003ch2 data-end=\"238\" data-start=\"212\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"236\" data-start=\"215\"\u003eProdigal Shepherd\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"280\" data-start=\"239\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"280\" data-start=\"243\"\u003eby Father John Doe and Al Hirshberg\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"349\" data-start=\"282\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"307\" data-start=\"282\"\u003eFirst Printing — 1958\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-end=\"310\" data-start=\"307\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"349\" data-start=\"310\"\u003eHardcover with Original Dust Jacket\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"354\" data-start=\"351\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"375\" data-start=\"356\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"375\" data-start=\"360\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"601\" data-start=\"377\"\u003eThis is an original First Printing (1958) of \u003cem data-end=\"445\" data-start=\"426\"\u003eProdigal Shepherd\u003c\/em\u003e, the powerful and candid memoir of Father John Doe (the pseudonym of Father Ralph Pfau), written in collaboration with journalist Al Hirshberg.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"881\" data-start=\"603\"\u003e\u003cem data-end=\"622\" data-start=\"603\"\u003eProdigal Shepherd\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"886\" data-start=\"883\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"910\" data-start=\"888\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"910\" data-start=\"892\"\u003eAbout the Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1302\" data-start=\"912\"\u003eOrdained 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1465\" data-start=\"1304\"\u003eLike 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1804\" data-start=\"1467\"\u003eIt 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"1809\" data-start=\"1806\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"1853\" data-start=\"1811\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"1853\" data-start=\"1815\"\u003eHistorical \u0026amp; Recovery Significance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"1981\" data-start=\"1855\"\u003eAfter 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2333\" data-start=\"2150\"\u003eHis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2482\" data-start=\"2335\"\u003eWritten with remarkable honesty, \u003cem data-end=\"2387\" data-start=\"2368\"\u003eProdigal Shepherd\u003c\/em\u003e stands as one of the earliest and most influential accounts of clergy recovery through AA.\u003cstrong data-end=\"2518\" data-start=\"2493\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-end=\"2929\" data-start=\"2926\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-end=\"2948\" data-start=\"2931\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"2948\" data-start=\"2935\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"2983\" data-start=\"2952\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"2961\" data-start=\"2952\"\u003eBook:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very Good condition. Clean interior. No writing, markings, or underlining. Tight binding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3113\" data-start=\"3071\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"3087\" data-start=\"3071\"\u003eDust Jacket:\u003c\/strong\u003e Original jacket present. Wear consistent with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"3227\" data-start=\"3159\"\u003ePlease review all photographs carefully for exact condition details.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49635020505330,"sku":null,"price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/6E775F3D-2817-484A-90B3-30BD30CCC80F.jpg?v=1780763536","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/prodigal-shepherd-by-father-john-doe-and-al-hirshberg-first-edition","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}