Nov

14

Fr. Dan - R.I.P.

November 14, 2008 |

My wife just called me with some news I had a feeling was coming sooner rather than later.

This morning, a great priest died; Fr. Dan Schuh, age 57, of St. Susanna’s in Mason, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati).  He was one of the greatest priests I have ever encountered.  He was a priest who touched my soul and brought me closer to Christ.    This story in the Cincinnati Enquirer gives a brief background on his life and death.

Fr. Dan was suffering from ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  While the dreadful disease robbed him of his body, it could not rob him of his spiritual strength and his commitment to shepherd his flock.  He was just a great, great man.  I’m figuring God has a major job for him up in heaven, because his kind are so needed here on earth. 

I do not belong to St. Susanna’s; I belong to a neighboring parish.  But our parishes are in the same cluster, so I occasionally go there for Mass.  The last time I saw Fr. Dan was when he celebrated a Sunday night Mass back in August.  It was one of the most moving masses I have ever been too, as I recounted in this post.  I have also written about Fr. Dan here.

As you can see, even though he was not my parish priest, he gave me something so uplifting; he gave me the gift of seeing Christ face-to-face; he gave me the grace of knowing a saintly man.  And he did it solely through the Mass.  I never talked to him; I never went to Confession to him.  He just found a way to profoundly reach me through the Mass; a connection that began even before he was diagnosed.

It’s a sad day for St. Susanna’s.  They have had an awful year; too many funerals of too many people dying too young.  They are in need of our prayers.  And we need to pray for Fr. Dan’s kids and grandkids (Fr. Dan entered the seminary after his wife died).  They had to share their father and grandpa with the rest of us.  And now I’m certain they are truly going to know the great work that he did to bring so many to Christ.

Grant him eternal rest, O Lord.  And let perpetual light shine upon him.  May he rest in peace.  Amen.

Thank you, Fr. Dan!  I’m sure it’s good to be home.


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