Deacon Vince Charles planned to pray for a lot of people while running in this year’s Boston Marathon, which fell on Easter Monday, but he quickly added prayers for the soul of Pope Francis and for a new pope. (Read the initial story here.)
“I learned about the death of Pope Francis in the athletes’ village. On a large screen I watched other runners start — the professionals, the wheelchair racers — while waiting for my start time,” Deacon Vince said. “After they announced his passing, praying for the pope became one of my prayer petitions,” he said, “and also for a new pope who has the heart of Christ and is faithful to the will of God.”
He prayed for more than 300 parishioners from Christ the King Parish in Isanti, using a tape he’d recorded with his wife Karen, daughter Cassie, son Nick and grandson Jeremy. That way they could pray together as a family while he ran.
“When I reached Mile #21, Heartbreak Hill, I started listening to a novena I’d taped. The music and words say ‘Surrender to Christ’ and I did. The prayer is so motivating to me. Amazingly, on Heartbreak Hill, I was able to pick up speed and pass other runners!” Deacon Vince said.
He blessed race spectators along the 26.1-mile route by making a forehead-to-belly sign of the cross to offer them a moment of faith, a practice he’d discovered earlier this year.
“Lots of people noticed my race T-shirt and gave me a thumbs-up for its messages — ‘I run for my Father’ and ‘I run for my Mother,’ the crucifix and statue of Mary in Medjugorje,” he said. “And I was impressed by the courage of the blind runners working with guides to compete in this race.”
Both before and after the race, he reconnected with a cousin and family living n Boston that he hadn’t seen for years.
“Though I’d been nervous to contact my cousin, by the end we felt like we’d known each other forever. They hosted Easter dinner where our families bonded. He dropped me off at the shuttle to the starting line — at 6:30 a.m.! And on Tuesday they cooked us a celebratory lobster dinner.”
Because the travel days occurred over Easter triduum, Deacon Vince and his family attended Masses at several Boston-area churches and he had hoped to serve one as a deacon. On Easter Sunday at St. Pius X, he and his extended family were inspired by the priest who chanted the Gospel, calling on the parishioners to echo “Alleluia ” throughout the reading.
The entire time was memorable.
Deacon Vince ran the entire course — one of his goals — at 4:17:56.
“The Boston Marathon was spectacular, and I received a medal for completing it — but that’s not the most important thing for me. Instead, it was the opportunity to pray with and for my Church family, my own family and relatives here, other runners and their families — that’s what is satisfying. We’re here to serve each other and our Lord.”
Great job Deacon Vincent! Thank you for praying while running, this is a practice I picked up several years ago but I don’t run for those lengths!