The Shadow of His Wings: The True Story of Fr. Gereon Goldmann, OFM

This book is a classic I think. A very true story of how a Catholic man during WWII gets caught up being in the military & how he handles it. With Gods help for sure. An amazing true story. A must read. Women & men both are intrigued by this non-fiction story.

I was so humbled reading this. This man’s dedication, faith, love and endurance was absolutely amazing. I could feel so bad by comparing my Christian walk with his. But, I want to be inspired by his life so that I can do more, so much more than what I am doing now. He showed me that God can work in amazing ways if we would only trust him and Try. I settle for so little compared to what could be. This humble man gave me a glimpse of what my life could be with God’s help. I was utterly amazed at how many incredible things God did through this man. And he seem to have so much joy. But he must have had an enormous gift of faith. What an inspiration. Also, I am not a Catholic. But I recognize this man truly was a Christian Who love God and wanted to be used by him. There were so many exciting parts as well that made the book interesting.

I could not put it down without feeling sad. I loved the story and everything it represented. It truly shows how ones unwavering faith and trust in God is never a waste of time. It also showed how powerful prayer is and can be even if we ourselves are not there to witness the outcome. Absolutely a wonderful story and addicting. I think the greatest lesson I took besides the spiritual lesson was the fact that you can never judge others based on the acts of a few. Fr. Goldmann had to endure years of abuse and deep, dark hatred for actions he never condoned, supported nor believed in. He obviously had a heart tied to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and I'm so very thankful and happy to hear he never lost that tie but fought almost to the death (numerous times) to maintain and strengthen that tie.

Fr. Karl (Gereon) Goldman was forced to join the German Army and was advanced to a SS Officer position yet he never fired a shot and he did all he could to help dying German soldiers die in peace with God. The true story written by him is so full of amazing happenings that it is impossible to recount them. He was wrongly accused and was to be shot by a German firing squad but was saved at the last moment. At the end of the war he went as a missionary to Japan where he did so much to help the needy that he was awarded a medal by the Head of the Japanese Government.

This is an amazing book - to say the least! The story told by Gereon Goldmann, a Catholic priest,begins in Germany a few years before the outbreak of WW II, and ends in post-war Japan. Goldman, a deeply religious young man, a seminarian preparing for the priesthood,is inducted into the Waffen-SS, and later into the regular German Army. Wherever he serves, he never hides his Catholic faith, not even from Heinrich Himmler, the infamous SS leader. Though Goldmann experiences combat on the western, eastern and southern war fronts, with his main responsibility caring for the wounded and dying, he proves himself a brave soldier. Because he never hides his opposition to Nazi ideology, the Gestapo keeps a file on him. He stands trial before a German court for "weakening the armed forces"[Through remarks he made], but is acquitted. Later, a charge of being involved in the July 1944 assassination plot against Hitler is dropped. He is received by Pope Pius XXII and eventually ordained a Franciscan priest; after the war he serves his God in different countries. Should a reader doubt this story, the author has photos and documents to prove it. In one photo he stands tall in his SS uniform; in another Himmler visits Catholic seminarians in the Waffen-SS. There are dozens of photos whose authenticity cannot be doubted. Goldmann cites names of well-known persons, places, churches and Catholic institutions in Germany, as well as events in Poland, France, Russia and Italy, most of which are known to this reviewer, who suffered through WW II as a German soldier. Yet something does not sound right, something more subjective than the casehardened events themselves. These are dialogues he cites with superior officers in the military, and with a Catholic nun, "Sister Solano." Since this is a sensitive subject, the reader may wish to know my credentials for saying this. I became a member of the Hitler Youth in 1932 and a soldier in the German army on 1 January 1940. I served in northern Finland. After the Russian Arctic advance and surrender of the Finns, I was deployed to Norway, where I survived until the end of the war. My exper-iences are documented in my book, "A Mind in Prison" (Brassey 2000). While Goldmann's veracity in describing events is beyond doubt, his dialogues with military superiors sound unreal to anyone who has been in the German army. I first thought he described these dialogues verbatim, but came to realize they could not have happened that way. Rather than the reasoned exchanges between equals Goldmann describes, the dialogues I had with superiors mostly consisted of shouts and threats, with quiet acquiescence from my sdie. He rightly describes many non-commissioned officers as sadistic thugs, and I attest to the accuracy of that portrayal. Goldmann's dialogues with Sister Solana are an unreal chain of prophecies in which she foretells almost his entire life. When he was still a boy, she predicts that he will become a priest twenty years later. She prophecies all of his military assignments to Russia, then France and Italy. She says he will meet Pope Pius XII in Rome, who will allow his ordination to the priesthood; a year later the Bishop of Algiers ordains Goldmann while he is a prisoner of war. I believe the author may have exaggerated Sister Solana's role to strengthen the faith of his Catholic readers, and to convert as many as possible who were not of his faith. The blend of Goldmann's religious and humanitarian works - the latter as an army medic - is consistently expressed in the book. In 1954, Fr. Goldmann arrived in Tokyo to begin a ministry as a parish priest to Japanese Catholics that lasted for 22 years. In summary, this is an amazing story. Even though the author occasionally oversteps the bounds of objective historical writing, the book is to be recommended to everyone interested in recent history, religion or philosophy. Bruno Manz

Was excellent to read a WWII story from the perspective of the "other side." Inspiring the story of Catholic Faith overcoming the many crosses that God puts in front of us everyday for us to grow stronger in trust in God as opposed to just trusting ourselves.

This book is one of the few that have changed my life - filling me with inspired passion and trusting resolve. I wish it would be read by anyone struggling with the boredom of life, with lethargy, lukewarmness or just ennui. And by anyone Catholic. First of all though, this book is a ripping yarn. A riveting page-turner, a breathtaking adventure, a masterful biography, a spiritual journey. An astounding achievement in and of itself: A gripping story of the 20th century's fateful turn from God, and a Franciscan's struggle for the Love of God amid the horror of Nazi Germany and WWII, helped by the power of many, many devoted prayers - and divine grace. But what is more, it is the true story of a life that is an even more astounding achievement, a testament to what true Christian faith can overcome, rely on, sow and reap. Most highly recommended.

This book is a must-read! The ‘players’ in this story are impressive, historically and religiously. I found the details of WWII life in Europe from the German-side really interesting. Most importantly, the faith and trust and LOVE this priest shares for the Lord was truly remarkable and inspiring.