Deacon Rudy's Introduction

I was ordained for service in the Catholic Church in 2012, and officially retired in good standing. But much of what I now share was not formed in a classroom-it was formed in deep suffering.

In 2018, I was diagnosed with a life-threatening cancer, terminal in nature. I underwent a Whipple surgery for bile-duct cancer, after eight hours and almost Immediately following, I experienced a level of pain that overwhelmed my senses and led me to leave my body and enter into a profound encounter beyond the physical, where the nearness of God became unmistakably real. What I entered into was not a moment, but a long passage-physically, spiritually, and deeply personal. Even now, I remain in remission Praise God.

Because of this, I carry a deep affinity for those who are walking through cancer, for patients, survivors, and for the care givers who stand besides them. Although I am well into my journey, I still carry chronic pain, scar tissue, and limitations that do not go away.

The scars remain, and because they remain, so does something else.

These were moments-at the height of my suffering-when I was drawn into the Way of the Cross, accompanying our Lord in his Passion in a way I cannot fully explain. But that participation did not end there. It continues, not always with the same intensity, but with the same reality. This is not something that passed, it is something I now live with.

I am not here to speak as an authority, I am here to share what I lived. What I write, what I paint, and what I offer through Prayer On Canvas comes from that place I call "The Well", or the Interior Life, which inspires, and assists with grace.

If something resonates with you, it is not by accident. I can point to the Well, but you must come and drink yourself.

More content to come

Thank You

Deacon Rudy