John Prager standing below the image of Mary in St. Catherine’s in Germantown, Philadelphia , USA

Rejoice! After literally months in Intensive Care in hospitals in Quito, Ecuador, Houston, TX and Kindred Hospital in Philadelphia, John (Juan) Prager joined the confreres for supper last evening in the main dining room of our Motherhouse. I did not see him walking in since I had my back to the door. But I could see the stunned expression on the face of a confrere who saw him walk through the door. We knew he had been transferred to the Motherhouse but did not expect to see him at supper.  All of us at the table can attest to his appetite and engaged conversation.

Fr. Prager was serving as Provincial of the Vincentian Fathers and Director of the Daughters of Charity in Ecuador at the time of his health crisis.

This morning I again had the opportunity to visit with him and take the above picture. He had just come back from getting some coffee in the snack bar.

“If all goes according to plan, I hope to return to Quito in April. The doctors tell me it is a realistic goal depending on how therapy goes.”

He continued,

It certainly was unexpected! But I missed a lot of it because I was in coma. The doctors in Ecuador and the United states kept speaking about Divine intervention. I really believe I am here because of the round the clock prayers of the Daughters and Confreres.”

He walks for a half an hour each day, more than he could six months ago when he attended our General Assembly in Chicago.