Discover the legacy of Max Josef Metzger- The PRIEST and the FÜHRER: The Ministry and Martyrdom of a Peacemaker

One priest's defiance sparked a legacy of hope. 

The Priest and the Führer shares the life of Max Josef Metzger, a German priest who stood up to the Nazis and paid for it with his life.

The Priest and the Führer: The Ministry and Martyrdom of a Peacemaker brings a nearly forgotten story back into the light—one that still speaks powerfully today. This compelling work shares the life of Fr. Max Josef Metzger, a German Catholic priest who stood up to the Nazis and paid for it with his life. More than a biography, it’s a reflection on conscience, resistance, and the cost of peace—an invitation to moral courage in times of crisis. The book has become a valuable resource for schools, faith communities, and civic groups, inspiring conversations about justice, faith, and the dangers of silence.

Authors Leonard Swidler and Cormac O’Duffy each spent decades studying Metzger’s life before joining forces to tell his story. Swidler’s early research into the Una Sancta Movement and O’Duffy’s background as a composer converge here, blending scholarship and artistry to illuminate Metzger’s legacy. Through historical insight and creative interpretation—including O’Duffy’s musical settings of Metzger’s final prison poems—The Priest and the Führer offers readers a deeply human portrait of courage, conviction, and enduring hope.