Marathon XVIII in Kansas City, Missouri

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

As you may already know, I enjoy running and over the years have participated in 17 marathons. I am currently training to run the 26.2 mile Kansas City marathon on Oct. 15, 2011.

One of the reasons I run marathons is to raise funds for charity. As I've done with other worthwhile causes in the past, I am dedicating my running of the Kansas City Marathon this Oct. 15th to raise money for charity, including various pro-life causes.

Specifically, donations for my running of the Kansas City Marathon on Oct. 15 will support: 1) scholarships to assist deserving youth from our diocese going to the January March for Life in Washington, D.C.; 2) multi-media educational resources for diocesan youth in schools and parishes; and 3) Internet publicity about post-abortion assistance and healing.

If you would like to support me in this effort, I invite you to make a tax-deductible pledge donation (e.g., $2 per mile x 26.2 miles = $52.40).

If you have any prayer intentions that you would like me to include while I am running and praying, please write them down and return them to me.

As sacred Scripture says, "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). Your support will be greatly appreciated.

God bless you,

Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki
Bishop of Springfield in Illinois