Demande de prière pour l'abbé Collins

Suite à un récent courriel de l'abbé Ahern, nous vous demandons de bien vouloir prier pour l'abbé Joseph Collins qui a un cancer.

Voici le courriel datant du 13 avril dernier de l'abbé Ahern au sujet de l'abbé Collins :

There have been requests for an update on Father Collins, and his illness. As things have progressed, there have been plans made, then modified. There have also been many many promises of prayer and wonderful expressions of encouragement and sympathy. Our Lord has granted Father more than 66 years in this life, nearly 39 in the holy priesthood.

Last week, a stent was inserted to relieve some of the pressure on the liver, and to restore some digestion of food. Otherwise, the diagnosis of advanced and advancing cancer was confirmed.

The conclusion from the physician was that chemotherapy was the only treatment option, and that this was likely to do more harm than good.

With the help of some dear friends, Father Collins is trying a focused nutritional approach at home in his rectory. Otherwise, he is making ready for his last hour. He is weak and often fatigued, but not in severe pain, able to get around to a limited degree, and to converse with those around him. Please be reassured that his material needs are quite adequately provided for.

Father's spirits are good. He is profoundly grateful for the prayers, kind messages, and assistance of so many people. Even more, “God is good,” as he says, who has given his servant forewarning to prepare for death. No longer able to offer Mass, Father Collins is able to continue his prayers, and to receive Holy Communion.

It may be of benefit to recall that with most cancer one is morally free to pursue one or another treatment, several treatments, or none at all.

Shortly after it became evident that he had a serious illness, Father Collins received the sacrament of Extreme Unction. There is a compact sick call Ritual called Vademecum ad Infirmos, for the use of priests in the United States. It has a beautiful and consoling prayer that can be prayed with the sick person after the administration of Extreme Unction:

O my dearest Jesus, now my body is anointed with holy oil, and my soul is strengthened against all temptations of the wicked enemy, and consoled in my sufferings. I thank Thee from the bottom of my heart for Thy great goodness and mercy.

I will now dismiss all worldly cares, and resign myself entirely to Thy mercy. If it be for my salvation, I hope soon to recover, and if not, I will rejoice, my sweetest Jesus, to attain eternal rest with Thee; for one day with Thee in Heaven is better than a thousand here on earth. Grant that I may never lose the grace of this holy Sacrament. Amen.

This is what Father Collins is striving to do, and this should be our prayer for him now, and for ourselves when the time comes. How fitting to have all this come in Passiontide when we unite ourselves to our Savior's death in order to have the hope of eternal life.

Yours in the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary,

- Father Ahern