The Vanishing Root: Eddie McCaffrey's Story / Maurus Green

The Vanishing Root was the last book written by fr Maurus Green. It is about Eddie McCaffrey, a young boy with muscular dystrophy who lived with his parents in St Austin’s parish, Liverpool. Later Eddie and his mother moved to his stepfather’s native Dublin. Maurus knew him well at St Austin’s and in Ireland. Eddie was in a wheel-chair from a young age, and he could have ended a bitter young man. In the event, through the spirit of unity of the Focolare that he lived and loved, he became a source of new life for many people in Ireland. The first friends of the Focolare in Ireland used to meet in Eddie’s house. Maurus recognised the greatness of Eddie and wanted to make him known. He was a remarkable young man, dying at the age of 30 with almost every muscle in his body broken and useless after his life of love for God and others.