Doyle was born in Calgary, Alberta, as one of twelve children; his ancestors had immigrated to Canada from County Wexford in Ireland.

Doyle was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John MacDonald on June 5, 1938, and continued his studies at St. Paul's University Seminary in Ottawa, earning his doctorate in canon law in 1949.

[1] Doyle was Bishop during a string of sexual abuse scandals in the diocese that started before he took office (as early as 1947) and lasted until at least 1992, three years after he retired.

At least seven priests were charged with sexual abuse of minors during his tenure in office including: "At the hearing, the appellant felt that he was the only victim of this ordeal and failed to take any responsibility for any of his criminal convictions.

With little if any genuine remorse and no acceptance of responsibility for his offences, the panel finds that the appellant does pose a risk of re-offending.

Doyle then did work in the Diocese of Kamloops before moving in 2001 to St. Elizabeth Seton House of Prayer in Kelowna, which he had established during his tenure as Bishop and where he and others were later forced to evacuate when forest fires threatened to consume the residence.