The Rev. Father Richard Butler, O.P., was a priest and author of the twentieth century, born in 1918. He also served as a Doctor of Philosophy and Lector of Sacred Theology. His Religious Vocation: An Unnecessary Mystery illustrates the normalcy and God-given nature of the call to the religious life, serving as a sure guide for spiritual directors and youth who are still discerning. Father Butler also wrote The Mind of Santayana and The Life and World of George Santayana. He died in 1988.