{"id":277896,"date":"2018-02-08T10:10:58","date_gmt":"2018-02-08T15:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aleteia.org\/?post_type=post&p=277896"},"modified":"2018-02-08T10:10:58","modified_gmt":"2018-02-08T15:10:58","slug":"rip-msgr-greg-ketcham-who-fought-a-valiant-battle-with-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2018\/02\/rip-msgr-greg-ketcham-who-fought-a-valiant-battle-with-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"RIP, Msgr. Greg Ketcham, who fought a valiant battle with cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

You may remember the stories about this priest<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0from Peoria that I posted two years ago. \u00a0I received word this morning that he has gone home to the Lord. I don\u2019t know any other details beyond that.<\/p>\n

The most recent account I could find came from a local news report<\/a><\/strong> in January:<\/p>\n

The popular priest \u2014 who from 2006 to 2014 served as St. John\u2019s chaplain and director of the Newman Foundation \u2014 is on a lot of people\u2019s minds these days.<\/p>\n

Just before the holidays, it was announced that he had been placed in hospice care, a year and a half after sharing with his parish in Bloomington that he had been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. Since that first visit to the MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston, the 50-year-old Ketcham had been providing regular updates on a special page on St. Patrick Church of Merna\u2019s website, but the news turned less hopeful lately.<\/p>\n

In August, he thanked everyone for their prayers, cards and texts, which his sisters had been answering since he could no longer text or write. Then, in December, came the hospice news, posted by the Rev. DUSTIN SCHULTZ<\/strong>: \u201cFr. Greg and his family are much at peace, and though Fr. Greg does continue to struggle and get worse, the Lord continues to give them the grace they need. On behalf of Fr. Greg and his family, I thank you for all your love, support and prayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are plenty of the latter, coming from fellow clergy and others the monsignor touched.<\/p>\n

One of The Rev. LUKE SPANNAGEL<\/strong>\u2018s favorite homily openings is one he has heard Ketcham give a time or three:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would start by saying: \u2018I\u2019ll never forget my first love. She was amazing. Beautiful. Fast.\u2019 He would go on a bit and made it sound like it was his first girlfriend. Then he would finish by saying it was his first car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spannagel hopes to pay Ketcham a visit today. The two share a special connection: Now the pastor at Urbana\u2019s St. Patrick\u2019s, Spannagel succeeded Ketcham at St. John\u2019s and as chaplain of the Illini football team.<\/p>\n

Former UI quarterback EDDIE McGEE<\/strong>, now a Connecticut-based content producer for ESPN\u2019s \u201cE:60\u201d program, remembers Ketcham for his kindness, passion and genuineness.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that can be a typical compliment, but it really is a perfect description because he truly embodied those qualities,\u201d he says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019ll leave the last word to him. As he wrote<\/a><\/strong> when he received his diagnosis in 2016:<\/p>\n

Many of you are aware of a shirt that is making its rounds in my honor. In a special way, it was my intention for the back of the shirt to proclaim John 24:17 (adapted) and this is my motto of discipleship and what the world needs to hear: \u201cJesus gives a peace the world cannot!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Surely, he knew that peace in this life. May he know it forever in the next.<\/p>\n

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You may remember the stories about this priest\u00a0from Peoria that I posted two years ago. \u00a0I received word this morning that he has gone home to the Lord. I don\u2019t know any other details beyond that. The most recent account I could find came from a local news report in January: The popular priest \u2014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":277898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11252],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-277896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-open-mind"],"yoast_head":"\nRIP, Msgr. Greg Ketcham, who fought a valiant battle with cancer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You may remember the stories about this priest\u00a0from Peoria that I posted two years ago. \u00a0I received word this morning that he has gone home to the Lord. 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