An 89-year-old Roman Catholic priest from Minnesota fell in church and required surgery to repair a neck injury. During his recovery in a rehabilitation facility, he did not dwell on bad luck or misfortune but instead reflected on how blessed his life had been.
Born in Indiana, he arrived in Minnesota in a shoebox at just three weeks old and grew up on a farm during the Great Depression. The smallest boy in his class and extremely shy, he first felt the call to the priesthood in sixth grade at his Catholic school. He attended high school and two years of college at a minor seminary in St. Paul, where he gradually overcame much of his shyness. He then continued his studies in philosophy and theology at a major seminary in St. Paul before being ordained as a priest.
His ministry took him to parishes in western Minnesota and to chaplaincy roles in Catholic nursing homes. Over the years, he traveled extensively, visiting Rome, the Holy Land, and a mission parish in Guatemala. His journeys also took him to 22 countries, including the Galápagos, the Amazon, the Antarctic Peninsula, and Easter Island.
This is the story of a life filled with challenges, adventures, and countless blessings.
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