A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver

by Mark Shriver - published by Henry Holt & Co., 2012

A Book Review by Father John McCloskey

The title — A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver — offers a clue about what is to come. What the title does not tell you, however, is to what extent this is also the story of Mark Shriver's discovery of the importance of his Catholic faith, family and service over politics, fame and personal gain.

As the reader may already know, Sargent Shriver wooed (for seven years) and won Eunice, one of the daughters of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, thus entering into a dynastic family famous for both its triumphs and tragedies.

Sargent Shriver came from an old Maryland Catholic family, attended Yale, and then served as a naval officer in World War II. After marrying Eunice, he ran the largest commercial building in the world, the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, which was owned by the Kennedy family. He returned East to help his brother-in-law John F. Kennedy in his presidential campaign, then founded the Peace Corps, helped Lyndon Johnson wage the "War on Poverty," and served as ambassador to France.

In 1972, he was the vice-presidential candidate with George McGovern, and, four years later, he competed in the Democratic presidential primaries.

This is an impressive collection of accomplishments, but Mark Shriver concentrates more on his family life and his father's personal service to others, all based on deep faith apparent in genuine and sustained acts of piety: daily Mass, devotion to the Rosary and willingness to share his faith with others — both in his professional work and charities.

I can testify to this personally, as during my time as director of the Catholic Information Center in Washington, he made many visits to the Blessed Sacrament and frequently attended weekday Mass there.

In a remembrance at Shriver's funeral, President Bill Clinton (not often quoted in this newspaper) recalled, "He knew that what matters is the moment and eternity. I have never met a man in my life who was happier in the moment than Sargent Shriver and who made more of it and thought less of how he could rewrite the past or reach into the future to inflate himself above others."

To "Sarge," family was foremost, as Mark's memories of hunting trips, Baltimore Orioles games, visits to ancestral homes and dozens of handwritten notes on all types of topics, often slipped under Mark's door while he was asleep, amply testify.

Among the most poignant notes was one written when Mark graduated from high school. His father reminded him not only of the love of his family, but also of the "passionate interest and love God showers on you." To this day, Mark carries a photocopy of the letter in his briefcase as an enduring reminder of his father's faith in God.

The last chapter is certainly the most moving, as Sarge descends gently into Alzheimer's and Mark becomes his father's caregiver. He learns much about himself and his father in doing so.

Mark relates that everyone — from presidents to janitors — called his father a "good man."

May I say more? Sarge was a great man who reminds me in many ways of St. Thomas More.

It may be time in the United States to introduce the cause for sainthood of a layman, woman or couple. I think we have a candidate in Sarge and perhaps his wife, Eunice, founder of the Special Olympics. Hers is another story that deserves to be told.

First appeared on NCRegister.com on September 28, 2012.