Make Time: Father Jerry

One of my teachers in high school was a priest named Fr Jerry. He is kind, generous, considerate, and most of all, a great teacher and friend. For many years Fr Jerry was a heavy drinker, though he became sober 18 years ago and has not had a drink since then. Unfortunately he smoked for many years after becoming sober, and his diet isn't necessarily the healthiest. Since teaching me in Chicago, Fr Jerry moved to a small church in a tiny town in Kansas. About a week ago I received a call from a high school friend of mine who told me Fr Jerry was in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to some serious health issues. My plan was to drive from Denver to Chicago, so I decided to see my old teacher. First I had breakfast in Denver with a guy named Ethan, who works in real estate and who could be a potentially great partner if I opened my business idea in Denver. I'm extremely excited about the potential to work with Ethan, and we had a fantastic conversation over a quick breakfast. I then jumped in my car and drove 8.5 hours to Ottawa, Kansas. Once in Ottawa I drove directly to the ICU unit at Ransom Hospital, where my former teacher was staying. It was hard to see Fr Jerry in such a tough position. Apparently he came down with a case of pneumonia, and his breathing has been very restricted ever since. At the time I arrived Fr Jerry had a full face breathing apparatus on his face, and nurses were coming and going. Luckily he was lucid enough to speak, so we caught up a bit and then I decided to keep my friend company throughout the night. I slept in one of the chairs in the hospital room, although with the nurses coming in and out all evening I didn't sleep very much. In the morning Fr Jerry was feeling a bit better, and he told me to go to his church where another priest would give me breakfast. As I pulled up to St Boniface Church, which is a few miles away in the town of Scipio, I couldn't help but notice its remoteness. Fr Dave was at the church when I arrived, about 7am, and he showed me through the chapel and then I grabbed some breakfast, a nap, and then showered before heading back to the hospital to check on Fr. Jerry. I was elated to see Fr Jerry didn't have the full-face breathing apparatus on anymore. His energy wasn't any better, but it was good that he didn't have such an encumbering thing on his face anymore. We talked for a bit and then I decided to continue on the road.

I'm glad I was able to spend time with Fr Jerry. He was always there to listen to any of my problems, and I felt lucky to be there to support him in his time of need.