“Please Continue Your Prayers for Thom…”—UPDATED

At about 10 a.m. ET, Ed Peters posted the following on his Facebook page, with a brief update on his son, Thomas Peters: 

Please continue your prayers for Thom. Docs are assessing range of motion issues today and need to decide about treating his neck injury. His temperature is returning to normal and his lungs look better which is good news!

I can scarcely imagine how difficult it must be for a young healthy man who is used to engaging in extensive work and service, in the blink of an eye, to suddenly have to become the pure recipient of all that attention, and to just have to accept others’ outpourings toward him.

More when I have it, and thank you all so much.

An UPDATE from 2 p.m. ET:

The next few days, as I am coming to understand these things, will tell us all a lot. This would be a great time for the Lord to work another of his many unseen miracles.

Let us pray.

UPDATE: Late Thursday, Ed Peters posted the following on his canon law blog: 

I tell my kids what my mom told me: to pray for the sick and the poor every day if only because any of us can find ourselves being either or both at any time.

As many of my blog readers already know, my oldest son Thomas (the American Papist) was seriously hurt in a swimming accident two days ago and remains in critical condition with spinal cord injuries at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He, his wife of three months Natalie, and our families are overwhelmed with the outpouring of prayers and support that we have received so far, and now I would like to ask a special favor.

Please consider invoking the intercession of Fr. Felix Cappello SJ (1879-1962), one-time Confessor of Rome and the greatest sacramental lawyer of the 20th century, for Thomas’ speedy and complete recovery. I draw on Cappello’s canonical works in almost everything I write—no joke, I am finishing a scholarly article right nowthat he provided the crucial insight for—but I never thought I’d suggest drawing on his intercession for one of my very own. Well, I am doing so now.

Naturally, if you have your own favorite go-to saints in urgent cases, by all means, go! But if you are looking for a suggestion, I’d offer Fr. Cappello.

And thank you.