+JMJ+

Ave Maria! I pray that you are well. I am sorry it has been a while since I updated. October is a very busy month for me, as I work for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Respect Life Office…but even in the business of it all, know of my prayers for you!

Today I am a guest of Fr. Joe Noonan’s on his radio show (airing on Relevant Radio, 950AM in Chicago, at 9:30). It was a very fun show to record, and if you are visiting this site because you heard the show, thank you!

I want to ask for a special prayer request. Yesterday I was at a workshop at Columbia College here in Chicago, and my backpack was stolen. Not only did I loose my wallet and passport, but also a very special computer that I did a great deal of work on for many different pro-life and Catholic projects. Please pray for whomever it was that stole the backpack, and that God’s will be done in the situation.

I hope and pray you have a blessed weekend. Less than 48 hours until the Hot Chocolate 15K on Sunday!! Know that I will be offering up the run for you and your intentions!

+JMJ+

Ave Maria! By the grace of God, CBS Chicago covered the NunRun during the Friday evening news. I haven’t had internet access until just now, but I wanted to post the link, check it out here! Thanks to Vince and the CBS Chicago team for bringing the NunRun to television screens across Northern Illinois.

It is just 2 weeks until the Hot Chocolate 15K. I had a beautiful run in Humboldt Park today–8-9 miles in under 1.5 hours! I have to run, but please keep a very special intention in your prayers–there may be a major NunRun announcement coming soon!

Thank you for all of your help, both material and spiritual. Know that you are in my daily prayers–I offered up part of my run for you today. God bless you…and if you haven’t yet, please prayerfully consider making a donation today.

The NunRun Icon!

+JMJ+

Ave Maria! This weekend several friends of mine are putting their months of training to the test with the Chicago Marathon! Of particular interest are those running for Vocations.

My friend Fr. Steve Bauer, an Archdiocesan preist, along with some seminarians are running to raise money for the Archdiocese’s vocation office. In Our Sunday Visitor’s recent edition, many different groups that are running road races for vocations–mostly vocation awareness–are featured. I‘m honored to say that I, too, am featured in this article! Take some time to read about it here.

I continue to run and above all pray for all of you who have supported me spiritually and materially. God is never outdone in generosity. We are near the $45,000 mark! That is extraordinary–and nearly half way there! I continue to work full-time, and my entire salary (save some minimal expenses, mainly transportation and my phone bill) goes toward paying off the debt as well. With God, all things truly are possible.

I look forward to running the Hot Chocolate 15K on November 1, and be assured your intentions will be part of my intentions as I run those 9 miles. Thank you for your prayers…and of course I’ll keep you posted!

St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

+JMJ+

Ave Maria! 

In 2007, just a few days after I graduated from Loyola University, I was blessed to take an amazing Pilgrimage to Europe—which was entirely paid for by donors!

My friend T.J. and I had done a great deal of evangelization through our publication “Vertias”, which we, along with fellow students, published for the Loyola Community to add a Catholic voice to the discourse on campus. This lead to many people supporting the work of our publication, and ultimately helping us get to Europe for the 1^st International Symposium on Theology of the Body, hosted in Gaming, Austria.

During our time overseas, T.J. and I worked on what became a documentary project about St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe—the heroic Franciscan saint who laid down his life on behalf of another prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. You can view the final project here. T.J. did most of the editing work, and did a beautiful job at that.

What is so inspiring about St. Maximilian’s story is that he was honored with the title “Martyr of Charity” because died for love of another person—truly following the example of Christ.

As I continue to work and pray my way toward religious life, I am constantly reminded that every vocation requires a death to self. We must be self-less if we want to respond fully to the vocation God invites us to!

Thank you for your prayers and support…I’m still running, gearing up for the November 1^st 15K! Know of my prayers for you…and please continue to spread the word about the NunRun! We have raised over $36,000 to date!