Fr. Joe Devlin Biography Project

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Fr. Joe Devlin is a Jesuit priest who answered the call to help the sick and needy in South Vietnam and later on he helped the thousands of refugees who crossed the Gulf of Thailand to the refugee camps. This book will show you how Fr. Joe, one of the few volunteers from overseas, got bounties placed on his head by the Vietcong (now known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) and continued helping refugees, especially those who were orphaned in their despair and helping them get started in their lives abroad. Fr. Joe's story has the potential to inspire future leaders to help many other people, and Fr. Joe's story deserves to be told. The story is very interesting too, and if you go into it knowing that there is much sadness, cruelty, and evil in the lives of the people Fr. Joe was helping, you will get a significant amount in return from reading. 

Fr. Ray wrote an amazing book, and I encourage you to read it. One huge issue is that this book is from the perspective of the brother of Fr. Joe and it had very little about Fr. Joe's actual interactions with refugees. Fr. Ray also spent a significant amount of time going over obscure family history that has little relevance to Fr. Joe's story, and Fr. Ray also put his Licentiate in Sacred Theology to a good use by copiously sprinkling quotes from ancient writers from Greece, Rome, and the like. I plan to add the direct and personal touch of many stories collected one at a time from interviewing former Boat People, reading published literature, and reading correspondence between Fr. Joe and various other people. Fr. Ray's story will complement my own story: each story is unique: my story will focus on the interaction between Fr. Joe and the Vietnamese Boat People, a facet of Fr. Joe's story that did not receive much attention in 'Cha.'

I am one of the great-nephews of Fr. Joe Devlin. Paul Devlin, one of Fr. Joe's brothers is my grandfather on my dad's side of the family. 

I want to show the life of Fr. Joe Devlin in a format that is easy to read and provide the gripping life story of Fr. Joe from his early life in the Irish section of San Francisco to the refugee camp of Songkhla in Thailand and back to Los Gatos in California. I want young people, especially children of the Vietnamese Boat People to know the sacrifices their parents and grandparents made for them and for others, I want to provide this as a cautionary biography about the horrors of war and its aftermath. Fr. Joe's selfless bravery should be known as an inspiration to people, and I plan to make this happen. 

2027 is the year I am planning to complete writing and commence the editing and publishing process. 

Please see my blog for the latest updates on my writing progress. 

If you have a story to share, if you want to send a photo of Fr. Joe Devlin, or memories, please use the contact form on this site and get in touch with me.