Of your charity, please pray for Father Tim MacDonald, pictured, pastor of Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Jackson and Vicar General of the Diocese of Lansing, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma. A note from Father MacDonald to his parish is reproduced below, with his permission. Father MacDonald also asks that people make prayerful petition through the intercession of Saint Peregrine and Blessed Solanus Casey. Thank you. Father MacDonald writes:
Hello Everyone,
Most people who attended Mass last Sunday saw me struggling to move thinking I had drop foot due to a pinched nerve. I went to see a neurologist on Monday and after a brief exam and questions he sent me directly to the Henry Ford Emergency Room. I have learned much in the last 24 hours.
Melanoma has returned. It is Stage 4. I have a cancerous tumor under my skull putting pressure on the nerve area that controls motor function. It is now that which is keeping me from walking and increasingly affecting left side mobility.
That’s not all. The tumor is swelling and bleeding, so I am being qualified as a stroke patient, fall risk and I am being given anti seizure medication. Furthermore, there is evidence of nodules in my lungs and adrenal glands of an unspecified nature that will require further attention.
I am awaiting a consult with the neurosurgery and oncology team to determine when and where a surgery will happen to remove the tumor ‘and smaller masses’, stop the bleeding and fight the cancers in all the other areas where it has broken out.
I was fortunate that my brother Fr Adam was already visiting and could step in to help with Mass last night and today. Funerals, baptisms and weddings will be done by others as needed. I am not 100% positive we can line up enough help for all daily Masses to continue. We will have to be in close contact on that for parish communications. I do believe the Servants of Charity from the St Louis Center in Chelsea have agreed to confessions and weekend Masses in the short term.
Due to the fact that there are so many of you and so few of me, and they limit visitors to the ICU where they rushed me yesterday, I would ask for privacy and prayer at this time.
It is too soon for me to predict when or in what condition I am coming home, but I am coming home. I assure you of that.
Please pray for me. I am praying for all of you. We do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.
Queen of the Miraculous Medal, pray for us
St Peregrine, pray for me
Blessings
Fr Tim