This Sunday, October 11, Father Michael Bradley ’78 (Archdiocese of Chicago) will be running 26.2 miles in his 49th marathon in support of the St. Gertrude’s Heart to Heart senior citizen program. When the Chicago Marathon, which would have been his 20th marathon, was cancelled Father Bradley decided to do his own marathon in order to raise funds for a good cause.
“Many of them have been isolated and finding it difficult to get out,” Father Bradley said. “So, we provide well-being checks, friendly phone calls, and trips to the grocery store.”
Father Bradley’s love for running flourished during his time at Mundelein. “Like many of my fellow seminarians back in the 1970s, I did some running around St. Mary’s Lake when I was a seminarian. I remember how refreshing and peaceful those runs were! It’s so natural to pray and feel in touch with God while running around the lake.”
Later when Father Bradley was teaching at Mundelein Seminary, some of the seminarians and priests urged him to run a marathon. His first marathon was in an “old cotton shirt and keds.”
“At present, I proudly wear my Mundelein Seminary cap while jogging in my neighborhood, so I feel that I am still united with the seminary,” said Father Bradley.
This weekend, the neighborhood surrounding St. Gertrude will be setting up water stations and cheering him on along his pre-planned route. You can learn more on the parish website here. Let us keep Father Michael Bradley in our prayers that he has a good 26.2 mile run on Sunday!
Catholic Priest Runs Marathon to Benefit Seniors Program (Video by: Archdiocese of Chicago)
