This guy must be extremely busy. Can I leave a message please?

Saint Peregrine

St. Peregrine was born in 1260 at Forlì, Italy to an affluent family. He lived a comfortable life as a youth, and politically opposed the papacy. After he experienced the forgiveness of St. Philip Benizi, he changed his life and joined the Servite order. He was ordained a priest, and later returned to his home to establish a Servite community. There he was widely known for his preaching, penances, and counsel in the confessional. He was cured of cancer, after he received a vision of Christ on the cross reaching out His hand to touch his impaired limb. He died in 1345 and was canonized in 1726. He is the patron of cancer patients.

I figured a little more help from higher authorities could only help with this journey. Turns out St. Peregrine is the patron saint for all cancers. Wow, he must be pretty busy. There is no specific saint for thyroid cancer, and I don't think St. Blaise counts, because wasn't he the patron saint for sore throats? This is way more than just a sore throat. Besides, St. Peregrine was beatified on my birthday. Coincidence?

The other freaky thing that occurred to me is the butterfly symbol that is commonly used to promote thyroid awareness--the gland is shaped like a butterfly depending on how you look at it. At the start of the school year, I was looking for something new to use for classroom decorations (at the Dollar store of course). I came across wall art stickers that you can put up and take down in the shapes of all sorts of butterflies. I grabbed a bunch of them, figuring it was a great connection to a movie I loved and showed in my AP class to rave reviews--"In the Time of the Butterflies", the story of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic. They were murdered by Trujillo and were known as the Butterflies. So my classroom has butterflies fluttering all over the place--on the door window, on my desk, on furniture where it would stay up....they're very pretty and spice up the room. But little did I know in August that the butterflies would take on a whole new meaning.....

And now I probably won't even get to use the movie in class since I'm out. :( Next year....

Back to St. Peregrine. Here are two prayers to him...feel free to throw it out there for anyone with cancer.

A Prayer to St. Peregrine for Sick Relatives and Friends

O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty", "The Wonder Worker" because

of the numerous miracles which you obtained from God for those who have turned to you in their need. For so many years, you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being.

You turned to God when the power of human beings could do no more, and you were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His cross to heal your affliction. I now ask God to heal these sick persons whom I entrust to you: (here mention their names)

Aided by your powerful intercession, I shall sing with Mary a hymn of gratitude

to God for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

And, if you've stumbled on this blog because you have thyroid cancer, try this one:

A Prayer to St. Peregrine for One Suffering from Cancer

Dear St. Peregrine, I need your help. I feel so uncertain of my life right now.

This serious illness makes me long for a sign of God's love.

Help me to imitate your enduring faith when you faced the ugliness of cancer and surgery.

Allow me to trust the Lord the way you did in this moment of distress.

I want to be cured, but right now I ask God for the strength to bear the cross in my life.

I seek the power to proclaim God's presence in my life despite the hardship, anguish and fear I now experience.

O Glorious St. Peregrine, be an inspiration to me and petitioner of those needed

graces from our loving Father. Amen.

Every little bit helps I think.

The prayers can be found with some other links at http://www.saintgeo.com/peregrine.htm.