Some of you have asked about the condition of John Vennari, the publisher of Catholic Family News, who is gravely ill with cancer and was originally not expected to live beyond his birthday on February 24th. On Saturday, Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant, posted an update on Vennari:
Dear Friends of John Vennari:
John is still with us, despite a great deal of suffering. That he is still here is in itself somewhat miraculous.
It seems just recently that St. Philomena has put herself in front of us again to get our attention and focus our prayers to her.
Please, then, join us in this novena to this great saint, beginning immediately, to end on March 20 (which is the date on which we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph this year).
We are asking her to obtain a complete cure for Joseph John Vennari.
Thank you, thank you.
Susan Vennari
Go to his post for the full novena.
Please pray for John. I have no doubt he is offering up his suffering for the Church in this hour of great need.
Steve Skojec is the Founding Publisher of OnePeterFive.com. He received his BA in Communications and Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2001. His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Crisis Magazine, EWTN, Huffington Post Live, The Fox News Channel, Foreign Policy, and the BBC. Steve and his wife Jamie have eight children. You can find more of his writing at his Substack, The Skojec File.
I am reminded of the suffering of JPII at the end of his life. Perhaps this is yet again the case of a man having no greater love for their friends than to suffer that which the Good Lord asks of them which then results in a greater good. It has crossed my mind that the suffering of JPII gave us Benedict rather than Francis as JPII’s Successor. If that is so, we should now greatly appreciate that suffering and the great gift, that eight year delay proved to be. Just think of where we would be now if Francis had emerged from that conclave as Pope. How many of the souls that would have been lost, weren’t lost because of Benedict’s Papacy. A truly astounding number, I am sure. Redemptive Suffering should never be discounted. I am glad that several of the people I know, who died in that eight year span, did not have to deal with a Pope like Francis.
Thank you for the beautiful post. I know that suffering can be redemptive but never considered that the suffering of JPII would obtain for the Church the election of Benedict XVI.
Thank you
I prayed a novena to St. Joseph for John’s healing or for a happy death. I am happy to hear that he is still with us and will pray to St. Philomena for his healing!
Matt Vennari Ferrara Skojec real Catholic men fighting for the faith and worthy of our support and prayers
And many others too
Praying the novena for John
I’ve been keeping John in my Rosary, but forgot about the ongoing novena to St.Philomena. Will pray to her as well……..A very POWERFUL saint!! Thanks for the update!
I hope heaven doesn’t want him right away because we need him down here, he’s another great voice in the defense for Truth of our holy Catholic church