A Catholic priest has died by apparent suicide in Iowa, U.S.A. Fr. Dennis Conway, was suffering from mental illness as released by his archbishop. His body was found on November 26th and the archbishop released the statement on the 27th of November. The archdiocese asks for prayers for the repose of his soul:
FULL TEXT Message from Archbishop Zinkula, Metropolitan archbishop of Dubuque in Iowa
"It is with a heavy heart that I share with you some very sad news. Yesterday, our pastor, Fr. Dennis Conway, died in the Immaculate Conception rectory, Cedar Rapids by way of suicide. Based on correspondence near the time of his death, Fr. Dennis clearly was suffering from an acute mental health crisis." SEE the 4:45 Mark on the VIDEO Below:
Please reach out for help when you are struggling with a heavy burden. In the Sacred Scripture we hear over and over again, "Do not be afraid." And at the end of the Gospel of St. Matthew, after commissioning the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, Jesus tells them, " I am with you always, until the end of the age."
"Given the circumstances of Fr. Dennis' death, there will be an autopsy, which may take some time due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We will inform you of the funeral arrangements when they have made. In the meantime, let's pray for Fr. Dennis and his family, and his parishioners, and all who struggle with Mental health concerns. God bless you all."
Deacon Conway was born in Alabama, but has spent most of his life in Cedar Rapids after his family moved there when he was 6. He, his parents and younger sister are members of All Saints Parish. A graduate of Xavier High School, Deacon Conway spent one year at Marquette University in Wisconsin, before enrolling in St. Pius X Seminary. He continued his education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Long before beginning priestly formation, he had the blessing of knowing deeply committed Catholics.
“… my grandmother has been especially influential,” said the deacon. “She has struggled with a degenerative disease for over 30 years, but her faith is stronger than ever praying the rosary and watching the Mass on TV every day. She has shown me very clearly that the struggles of life only make sense in light of Christ and that there is joy even in the midst of great suffering. She has been a living example of the Christian faith for me.”
Deacon Conway enjoys music and theater, including lighting and sound work. He also likes cooking, skiing and playing the piano. The lives of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Gregory the Illuminator, the evangelist to Armenia, have inspired the 26-year-old on his spiritual journey.
“I strongly believe the faith changes us and has to be shared, and those saints exemplified that for me,” he said.
Deacon Conway is feeling a bit of nervousness and a lot of excitement.
“There are really two things I’m looking forward to most,” he said. “One is helping people remove the burdens they carry and experience the love of God in the sacrament of reconciliation. The other is praying with people and helping them to see how God is at work in their life. It seems like people have a hard time seeing that sometimes and hopefully my own prayer and experiences will allow me to help others to see God’s hand in the world.”
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