Dear Friends - On this beautiful day, please start with our prayer:

O God, I adore You. I give myself to You. May I be the person You want me to be, and May Your will be done in my life today. I thank You for the gifts You gave Father Solanus. If it is Your Will, bless us with the Canonization of Father Solanus so that others may imitate and carry on his love for all the poor and suffering of our world. As he joyfully accepted Your divine plans, I ask You, according to Your Will, to hear my prayer for the complete, miraculous healing of Father Stephen Schultz, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Blessed be God in all His Designs.  Thank you, O Heavenly Father, for your mercy in granting us this miraculous healing.

Father Schultz wants everyone to know how grateful he is for your prayers and support.  Looking back to October first, he sees how he was only preserved from death by God's love and your prayers. So we've already had a miraculous healing and recovery from being near death.  He is continually praying for all of you and remembering you in his Masses.  

Father left the rehab center earlier this month and is happy in his new location.  Because he requires a significant level of medical care, he is now at a skilled nursing facility.  He is still getting therapy and will be working on improving his mobility.  Right now he doesn't have the use of his left leg or arm and is getting around in a wheelchair.

The good news: It's a well-run facility with a staff that's very professional and diligent.  He's enjoying the food and has been to the dining room for most of his meals - a big improvement since he hadn't sat at a table to eat since all this happened.  The staff like him a lot because - well, he's the most likable Schultz of all. He's tells them all the time how grateful and happy he is to be there.  

Our family is grateful beyond words, too.  All of you have been a blessing to us.  The Diocese has gone above and beyond to support Father Schultz's recovery.  His priest brothers and close friends who have visited have kept his spirits up and his soul sustained.   God has been so good to send holy, kind people into our lives.

We have had some questions from friends and priests if Father needs any help - like funds for a powered wheelchair.   Thanks be to God, we don't need financial help.   

What we do need are more great priests like we have now in Arlington, and the best thing you can do before Easter is make a donation to the Bishop's Lent Appeal.  (That's a live link you can click right now! 🤣)  The BLA supports a host of crucial programs in Arlington, including the education of our 49 seminarians.  49 - wow!  Praised be Jesus Christ! 

A few other items: 

As of now, Father Schultz is planning to attend the Chrism Mass at All Saints on March 26 at 11am.  He can't wait!  Say hello if you see him there. 

We're also working with the wonderful staff at Paul VI to arrange a visit to school, as well as some visits by staff and students to where Fr. Schultz is. 

Priests are welcome to continue to visit as they have been - that's been a tremendous blessing!

Important: If you end up hearing through the grapevine where Father Schultz is, don't visit unannounced.  He will not be available to meet with people who simply show up and ask to see him.  If you are tempted to visit unannounced, go visit the Blessed Sacrament instead.

Once he is fully settled, we might be able to setup a window for visits once a twice a month where we know his schedule is open and we can reserve a meeting room at the facility for some groups of people at a time.  If we can manage that, we'll post details here.

Last, one of the great miracles of his recovery is that the stroke didn't damage his memory or speech. His education, experience, training, and delightful personality - it's all there, thanks be to God! I'm planning on recording some talks or homilies and will post them from time to time. Reply with podcast idea titles if you're the creative type.   Please note that TacoCast is already taken. 

Thanks again to all of you who have prayed for Father Schultz!  

Our family is eternally grateful.

With much love,

The Schultz Family