Brian Cahill - Cops, Cons, and Grace: A Fathers Journey Through His Sons Suicide

Authentic, evocative, and transformative, this journey of healing and hope captures the heart of any reader who has been a parent, a counselor, a peace officer or any combination of these.

E ve M yer , Executive Director, San Francisco Suicide Prevention

A riveting story of Gods grace and healing in the face of the most profound loss and grief. Brian Cahills compassionate work with both prisoners and law-enforcement officers, after the suicide of his son, is a compelling testimony of faith, hope and love.

J ames M artin , Author of Jesus a Pilgrimage

An inviting, palpable, powerhouse of a book, Cops, Cons and Grace takes us on a story we will never forget. From a fathers deep, unconditional love of his son, John Francis Cahill, to the darkest depths of pain and despair after he loses his police officer son. This book will show you desperate hurt from such a loss, but more important, it brings us closer to the minds of officers to whom Brian gives the gift of hope every day. Brian Cahill is my new hero. This book will widen your lens, while opening your heart to healing, recovery, growth and grace from the abyss that is suicide.

Kevin Hines, Author of Cracked Not Broken, Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt

Cops, Cons and Grace is about two very different cultures and how these cultures offered peace and resolution after a suicide. It is a moving story about how the police and prison inmate cultures lead one man to forgive himself for his childs suicide. Ultimately the book is about the love a parent has for a child and what happens when that child commits suicide. It is moving, uplifting and informative. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the psychology of suicide survivors, anyone struggling with a suicide or someone simply interested in a moving story about love and forgiveness.

Joel Fay , Co-author of Counseling Cops, What Clinicians Need To Know

Brian Cahill found healing and strength in an unexpected placewith convicts at San Quentin state prisonafter the suicide of his son, a 42-year-old police officer, plunged him into unimaginable grief. This gripping, personal and inspiring journey reveals the power of grace over death as the author channels his heartbreak into loving action, honoring his sons life by teaching suicide awareness and prevention to police officers. This is a timely and important book given the high risk of suicide among law-enforcement and correctional officers today, but will appeal to anyone who has wondered how to find hope amidst despair.

George Williams , Catholic Chaplain, San Quentin State Prison

Brian Cahill shares with the reader his experience living through the tragic loss of his firstborn son John, a police officer as a victim of police suicide. As a police psychologist, I personally found Mr. Cahills work particularly on point to assist the law enforcement profession by bringing light to the tragic loss of life of fine young men and women who risk their life not only to violent crime, but to broken spirits. Psychologists, chaplains and administrators who work in the area of helping first responders need to read this book.

Kevin M Gilmartin , Author of Emotional Support for Law Enforcement

Cops, Cons and Grace is a wise and beautiful book about sorrow, grace and redemption. It will offer comfort to anyone whos grieving, hope to anyone in a dark place on their journey, and insight and instruction to anyone working in the area of suicide prevention with police officers.

Mary Allen , Author of Rooms of Heaven

Brian Cahill shares his journey before and after his sons suicide. It is an emotional roller coaster which probes into how his son, a police officer, tried to deal with stress and depression. As a retired cop who lost a colleague to suicide, this is an extremely important read.

Anthony Ribera , Director, International Institute of Criminal Justice Leadership, University of San Francisco

Brian Cahill has written a very personal story full of raw emotion and intense depth. Following the suicide of his police officer son, Cahill embarks on a passionate journey looking for reassurance of Gods presence and trying to make sense of life and death. Written by (in Cahills own words) a father whos immobilized by horror and pain, he nonetheless finds comfort, support and answers in some usual, and unusual places. Anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide will be helped by this story. This is a book full of grace.

Ron Rolheiser , Author, Columnist and President of Oblate School of Theology

Cops, Cons, and Grace

A Fathers Journey Through His Sons Suicide

Brian Cahill

Foreword by Dan Willis

Cops, Cons, and Grace

A Fathers Journey Through His Sons Suicide

Copyright 2018 Brian Cahill. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, W. th Ave., Suite , Eugene, OR 97401 .

Resource Publications

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

W. th Ave., Suite

Eugene, OR 97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-5326-3500-7

hardcover isbn: 978-1-5326-3502-1

ebook isbn: 978-1-5326-3501-4

Manufactured in the U.S.A.

Excerpts from The Grail Psalms 1963 , The Grail, England, GIA Publications, Inc., exclusive North American agent. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

To Donna, who keeps me breathing

and to Kristine and Kaitlin

He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain, which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

Aeschylus

From the beginning, cops are taught to maintain an occupational persona: a public face that makes them always appear to be in control, on top of things, knowledgeable and unafraid.

Ellen Kirschman, I Love a Cop

One thing I know for sure: Death is not the end of the story.

Mary Allen, The Rooms of Heaven