A Friend Of Mine Died This Morning

[dominicansoul]

Fr. Jonathan Niehaus, ISP, died this morning from complications of lung cancer. It was a shock to hear he was sick with this disease back in November, since the good priest never smoked. But I guess there's that rare occurance where you get lung cancer without the smokes...


He used to use visual aids in his homilies, always pulling little items from a paper bag. On his final day celebrating Mass with us at the university student center, he handed St. Jude a baseball and asked him to "hit homeruns" with all the prayers being lifted up to the newly established patron saint of the university student center. (He used baseball analogies all the time.) The baseball still sits at the base of the statue of St. Jude, overlooking the congregation.

He was one of the most soft-spoken, kind, comforting priests I have ever met. Going to confession with him gave me great comfort and the inspiration to "never give up the good fight."


He was very young... as far as I know, I don't believe he was out of his 30's? maybe 40s? This comes as a great shock to me. He was my confessor and a confidant and a friend.

He was sent to Germany to teach seminarians there at the Schoenstatt house, and it was last week where he came down with an infection he could not overcome. He was surrounded by his family and his brother priests, and he died there at his "motherhouse" of the community he had dedicated his life to for the salvation of souls...



May he rest in peace...


p.s. I just find this soooo hard to believe... having heard the good news of my godson's birth this morning, then to find out a dear friend died this morning.... two emotions colliding all in one day....