Matthias Bodkin aka Matthias McDonnell Bodkin, Jesuit priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 and author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

, 26 June 1896 – 2 November 1973.

Bodkin was a son of Matthias McDonnell Bodkin

Matthias McDonnell Bodkin

Matthias McDonnell Bodkin was an Irish nationalist politician and MP. in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Anti-Parnellite representative for North Roscommon, 1892–95, a noted author, journalist and newspaper editor, and barrister, King’s Counsel and...

 but never used his middle name, to differentiate himself from his father. He served as a Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 chaplain

Chaplain

Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...

 during the Second World War, in Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

 and aboard HMS Anson

HMS Anson

Seven ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Anson, after Admiral George Anson:, a 60-gun fourth rate launched in 1747 and sold in 1773., a 6-gun cutter purchased in 1763 and sold in 1774., a 64-gun third rate launched in 1781, cut down around 1794 to a large frigate of 44 guns and wrecked in...

in the Pacific.

He was a prolific writer on religious subjects, but also adventure stories for boys. His most acclaimed work was a biography of John Sullivan

John Sullivan

John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....

, a fellow Jesuit, published as The Port of Tears in 1954.

In later life, his eyesight began to fail, so he turned to retreat work and councilling. He died in Dublin.

He was a brother of Thomas Bodkin

Thomas Bodkin

Professor Thomas Patrick Bodkin was an Irish lawyer, art historian, art collector and curator.Bodkin was Director of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin from 1927 to 1935 and founding Director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham from 1935 until 1952, where he acquired the...

, and a descendant of the Tribes of Galway

Tribes of Galway

The Tribes of Galway were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late-19th centuries. They were the families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D'Arcy, Deane, Font, Ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan,...

.