Alone and on My Knees

About the Book

John DeCoste, the main character of Alone And On My Knees, weaves you through an incredible and adventurous pattern of personal life situations. First, he takes you through the stormy years of childhood and the years of young adulthood in his beloved village of Arichat, Cape Breton. Secondly, he takes you through the years as a student at Teacher Training College and his first experiences as a teacher in Nova Scotia; then, you journey with him through the years of seminary training in the United States and England. Finally, he shares his experience with you as a missionary priest in Africa, in particular in the countries of Burkina Faso (the former Upper Volta), Nigeria and Central Africa (Zaire, present day Congo, Rwanda, Burundi). Both at home and abroad he faced many challenges and life decisions. This is the story of such an odyssey. His experience of the Rwandan genocide and war touched his life deeply. It is an amazing story of growth in relationships, in love, hope, trust and faith and the great need for a strong and deep loving presence in one’s life.

About the Author

John DeCoste was born in Arichat, Cape Breton, on June 2, 1943. He completed his primary and secondary school education in the village school under the guidance of the Congregation of Les Filles de Jesus. He went on to become a teacher in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton. In his third year of teaching, he decided to become a missionary priest in the community of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers of Africa). He was ordained to the missionary priesthood on August 23, 1975. He spent fifteen years in the African missions and was a witness to the Rwandan genocide and war. He was a chaplain for thirteen years in the Spiritual Care Department of the Ottawa Hospital, after which he semiretired from hospital work and returned to his Nova Scotia home. He is presently assistant chaplain at St. Ignatius Parish in Bedford, Nova Scotia.