Saturday, April 12, 2008

A prayer request for Fr. Thomas Kraft, OP


I added a new link to the Spirituality section of my blog. It is a link for Fr. Tom Kraft, OP. He is a Dominican priest without whose ministry I would not be Catholic- Okay, that is not the world's best endorsement. By way of redemption, he was instrumental in helping me discern that I was not called to be a priest. So, precisely because of his ability to deal with difficult pastoral cases, like me, he is a gifted, loving, and prayerful priest, the likes of whom the Church could use a lot more - Anyway (Phil Hartman as Vickie in So I Married An Axe Murderer eye roll), he is seriously ill with cancer. He witnessed our marriage and baptized our oldest child. I remember being poor graduate students with a small baby and living in a fourplex and Fr. Thomas coming over to our apartment for a pastoral visit and holding our little guy, ever so tenderly and tentatively. He belonged to a group of fellow Dominicans, who called themselves the Pilgrim Friars, who did some great bluegrass and gospel music- he is a guitarist. One of my nicest memories is of Fr. Thomas, another dear brother, Rob, and I having a Mass, just the three of us, in a small chapel in a Cistercian monastery. In short, he is just a great person and a wonderful priest.

Please pray for him and for all who suffer from cancer in all of its various and debilitating forms. Our hope, I know Fr. Thomas' hope, is in Jesus Christ our Lord. I remember attending a football game with Fr. Tom and somebody, in exasperation, yelled Jesus! He quickly chimed in at the top of his blessed lungs- IS LORD! Amen- Alleluia!

6 comments:

  1. I saw him over the weekend, though didn't talk much. He is doing we enough, though tired. (did you know that he is in our parish now?) I'll talk to him about you when I see him next time.

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  2. I did not know that he was at your parish. What small world, what miracle, but it is no coincidence. Fr. Thomas was here in SLC a long time ago. Yes, please tell him hello and reassure him that there are many of us here praying for his recovery.

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  3. The Ironic CatholicApril 16, 2008 at 9:14 AM

    Sounds like a man I'd love to know. I'll pray today.

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  4. Hello, I'm from Mexicali, Mexico. My mother was a friend of him and she told me he died the day before yesterday
    I'm so sad, I met him since I was 5years old.
    Rest in peace

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  5. Yes, Imelda, he did pass away. I guess he can pray for us now.

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  6. I think....he always pray for us. And I'm pretty sure....he's with God.

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