As Catholics celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, one modern story stands out as a powerful example of forgiveness and hope. Fr. Paul Murphy, an Irish Army chaplain who survived a brutal attempt on his life in 2024, responded to that violence with extraordinary mercy — publicly forgiving the radicalized teenager who tried to murder him, and even embracing the young man in court.
A shocking attack met with mercy
Fr. Murphy was stabbed outside an army barracks in Galway in 2024 by a 19-year-old assailant inspired by ISIS ideology, as reported by OSV News. The attack was vicious: The chaplain nearly lost his hand in the assault, according to Zenit, and spent months recovering from his injuries.
However, when he finally faced his attacker during a court hearing in April 2025, he showed no anger or bitterness. “I am in the business of forgiveness,” he told the Dublin court, making clear that he bore no ill will toward the young man.
In an extraordinary victim-impact statement, Fr. Murphy spoke directly to the would-be killer with compassion:
“My only desire is that you would learn to see the error of your ways and, when the time comes, return to society to make a positive contribution to the world as a wholesome, happy, and loving person."
At the conclusion of the hearing, the teenager tearfully apologized, and Fr. Murphy stepped forward to shake his hand — then pulled him into a hug. It was a powerful scene of reconciliation.
Embracing divine mercy in action
Fr. Murphy’s perspective makes his forgiveness even more remarkable. He stressed that he was not “in the wrong place at the wrong time” but rather the right person “in the right place, at the right time” to confront the attack — thanking God that the knife struck him and “not through the body of one of my comrades."
He even calls it “an honor and a privilege to carry the scars” of that night, describing the ordeal as “filled with blessings” because his injury may have spared someone else.
His courageous witness has inspired many. Fellow chaplain Fr. Paddy McGlinchey praised the gesture as “an example of true priesthood,” a radical compassion that society greatly needs, according to OSV News.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, when Catholics celebrate Christ’s infinite mercy, Fr. Murphy’s actions put that mercy into practice — mirroring Jesus’ own forgiveness of His persecutors. His story invites everyone to consider how we might respond to hurt with healing, and meet hatred with love.
Strength and mercy in the face of danger
Fr. Murphy’s merciful courage is a reminder that priests sometimes face grave dangers in their ministry. Around the world, other clergymen have endured violence yet responded with faith and forgiveness. For example, in 2016 Fr. Jacques Hamel, an 85-year-old priest in France, was killed by extremist attackers while celebrating Mass — yet even in that tragedy, his community offered forgiveness instead of hatred.
Nigeria is increasingly dangerous for priests: Last year Fr. Yakubu Mika was abducted by armed bandits, one of many who have faced this fate; upon his release, he astonished many by saying, “I have forgiven the bandits for kidnapping me; I believe in forgiveness as a Christian, moreover as a priest,” as reported by Vatican News.
And of course, one of the most famous examples remains St. John Paul II — he survived being shot in 1981 and famously forgave his would-be assassin.
These witnesses echo the heart of Divine Mercy Sunday’s message: Mercy is stronger than hatred, and love is stronger than death. Fr. Paul Murphy’s example — forgiving and even embracing someone who sought to harm him — shines as a beacon of hope.
This Divine Mercy Sunday, his story invites us to trust in the transforming power of forgiveness and carry merciful love into our own lives.
You can hear more about the stabbing and the subsequent forgiveness in this video below:
