fathersullivan.com

Thursday, 10/2/14

Growing up, many of us began each day praying, “O Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom his love commits me here; ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen” Still, we don’t know much about our Guardian Angels.

From 1947 to 1952 I spent my student years at a Columbian Fathers seminary near Omaha Nebraska; and on October the Second each of those years we had a visit from Creighton University’s Father Francis Deglman S. J. Each time he had fresh stories to tell us about things his Guardian Angel had done for him. A very busy priest, Father Deglman, when he was overloaded with things to accomplish, would send his Guardian Angel to take care of some of it.

Most of my fellow students from back then are gone now, but Dick Steinhilbur, our Superior General back in the Sixties is still writing thank-you notes to people who help our foreign mission work. I phoned him, asking if he had any old Father Deglman stories.

Dick had a little story of his own. It was from back when he was flying from one Asian country to another checking on our missions. He told me, how remembering Father Deglman’s trust in his Guardian Angel, he tried such a prayer himself. Having missed the last plane out of some country, he asked his angel to somehow hold the plane as he ran for the ramp. When he got there a lady asked if he were Father Steinhilbur, then she told him they had his bag, and the plane was waiting.

So, apparently, it works. Give it a try.