Arthur has my rosary. It’s a long story and not really important how my rosary came to be with him since I’ve never met him. But I’m praying for him, and would like you to pray for him too.

I don’t know a lot about Arthur. He was an inmate in one of the area correctional institutions until just before Christmas. A woman, claiming to be Arthur’s sister contacted the local Catholic chaplain and wanted to know if maybe Arthur might be in prison in our area. Well the chaplain wasn’t particularly hopeful. First, people who attempt to contact prisoners are often con artists of some sort. Second, those in prison are not always easily identifiable to those on the outside because of the use of aliases. Amazingly enough, the chaplain was able to find Arthur…in the prison hospital. He was recovering from a stroke. Anyway the chaplain went to him and told him that someone claiming to be his sister was trying to reach him. Arthur told the chaplain that whoever it was, wasn’t his sister, because his sister was dead. The chaplain suggested that he might like to talk to this person anyway, just in case. I’m smiling because it WAS his sister and he had been misinformed about her death. (Damn rumors.) Arthur had only a few months left on his sentence and the prison chaplain was able to secure an early release for him so that he could go home (~1,000 miles) and spend Christmas with his family. My rosary went with him.

Fast forward to today. We’ve had an update on Arthur. The trip home was eventful. He had another stroke on the way and had to be hospitalized en route. He lost touch with his family, again. This time a social worker was able to reconnect them and his family drove to where he was to pick him up and take him home. He’s been in ill health ever since. Word has come back to the chaplain that he’d like to give him a hug and that while he still hasn’t figured out how to use it, the rosary is still with him. Would you pray for him? Thank you.