March 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A U.S. Catholic priest is counting his blessings – including the support of the communities he has shepherded the last five years – following his recent diagnosis with a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
“The way of the cross that Jesus is inviting me to walk will not be easy, but He and His holy Mother Mary will uphold me. I continue to do my best to surrender myself to Jesus knowing that He will take care of everything,” the Rev. Dana Christensen posted on his personal Facebook page Dec. 21.
Christensen, 42, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, earlier that week.
“ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord,” according to the ALS Association website. “The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their demise. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, people may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.”
