Today is Thursday, January 15. Here is the latest update on Fr. Benedict.

Today I was able to spend some time at Fr. Benedict's bedside. Thank God, he is even looking better. He has good color and the swelling of the body has decreased. He is still highly sedated, so he is in a "sleep state" and is slightly aided in his breathing with a respirator. His right arm is suspended due to the operation he received last evening. He has a few metal pins or rods sticking out of his bandaged arm. As I mentioned in the last entry, his surgeon is well known and almost revered in the medical community due to his expertise. Providentially Fr. Benedict is receiving extraordinary care. The doctors and nurses have been kind, cooperative, and very respectful. They now know who their patient is; in fact, I am hoping to send some of Father's tapes to them. Not, of course, so they would be giving any better care, but as an opportunity for evangelization!

Tomorrow is a very important day. May I ask each of you to pray for Father during the day? Other procedures will be attempted, depending, of course, on how he is doing. The first, I believe, will be to set the broken bones in the right leg. Secondly, to implant small micro filters in special places to prevent a blood clot traveling to either his lungs, heart, or brain. Like many heart patients, Fr. Benedict was taking a blood thinner. This is why there was a large loss of blood from the head after the accident. Since the blood was not congealing, it was literally pouring out. Now that the blood thinner is out of his system, blood clots are more probable than possible. So, small screens will hopefully block any clot from traveling into an area which would have dire consequences. Both operations might take place at once and even done in the surgical intensive care unit. These plans can, of course, change at a moments notice. There are so many variables. Please pray for the doctors, nurses, and other assistants. I promised them you would.

So, tomorrow we are calling for all the friends of Fr. Benedict throughout the States and the world to offer him a helping hand. We are all in this together and our job is to support him. Friends don't walk away from us - they walk with us. So, our "helping hand" has five "fingers".

1. Attend Mass and receive Holy Communion. If you cannot attend Mass, spend time in prayer and reading the Holy Bible.

2. Praying with others - the rosary, chaplet of the Divine Mercy, etc.

3. Make a good confession!

4. Be reconciled with your spouse, neighbor, or co worker. If "forgive me" and/or "I was wrong" need not be said - try "I love you!"

5. Reach out to someone in need, especially a poor, needy, or homeless person.

I know Fr. Benedict would be pleased with this request. The weight of his cross will be lessened as thousands reach out and bear it a bit off his shoulders. When I told Fr. Benedict I would making this request of you, he eyes remain closed and his body still, yet I know - I KNOW - nothing would bring peace and joy to his heart knowing you would do this. So, offer him a hand - for his good and God's glory.

Fr. Conrad and Br. Sharbel will be at Fr. Benedict's side this week - speaking, praying, and touching him. They will represent both of us who cannot be at his side. A friend who has been spending some weeks with the Missionaries of Charity in India called this morning and told me he will be flying into Florida tomorrow with a special gift from Sister Nirmerla, the head of the Missionaries of Charity - a relic of Mother Teresa which the friars will immediately bring to Fr. Benedict's bedside. Together with Cardinal Cooke, the former Archbishop of New York, we are asking Blessed Mother Teresa for her intercession. He was dear friends of both - "Birds of a feather", as the saying goes!

Finally, we hope to offer you an opportunity to leave a brief greeting and message for Father. Please refrain from sending anything at this point. Hopefully, in a day or two, you can have an opportunity to say a little something via E-mail. But now, let's stop wringing our hands and hold them out - in prayer, in reconciliation, in service - our friend is painfully yet patiently waiting.

Fr. Glenn Sudano, C.F.R.
Community Servant
Franciscans of the Renewal

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