Jock Dalrymple (1927-1985) was a Catholic priest and member of an old established Scottish family whose number today include the celebrated writer William Dalrymple.

Known as a man of exceptional personal holiness and influence, he left behind him a number of private journals and diaries in which he charted his own path to holiness - through much inner suffering, despondency and self doubt. Extracts from these diaries form the basis of this extraordinary book which is couched in a full biography. The diaries and journals have all the power of Bernanos' celebrated novel Diary of a Country Priest and show that the path to holiness is indeed hard; `res severa est magnum gaudium'.

A former officer in the Scots Guards, Dalrymple entered the Scots College in Rome and trained for the priesthood. But with the Second Vatican Council, he was one of the first to see the impact of the Council's extraordinary documents on the future of the Church and on the spiritual life of the individual Christian. This book is the story of the personal transformation of a fine priest under the influence of The Council, a transformation which cost him a great deal.

After the publication of a number of articles, Dalrymple was commissioned to write his first book The Christian Affirmation in 1971 and many very successful titles followed including Costing Not Less Than Everything and Simple Prayer. He also co-founded Martin House in Edinburgh, a home for disadvantaged women, women who were the victims of abuse.

After a spell as spiritual director of a Seminary and Chaplain to the students at St Andrews University, he immersed himself in parish life and pioneered a new style of ministry- always under the influence of his equally celebrated cousin and best selling author Fr Michael Hollings, both of whom shared a devotion to Therese of Lisieux.

In all this Dalrymple was prophetic- his vision inspired and energised by the Council. It is only now, perhaps under Pope Francis, that this vision is beginning to come to true fruition.