Fr Seamus Maguire

This is a series of short stories by Fr Seamus Maguire that have been inspired, for the most part, by his experiences as chaplain at the San Fernando GeneralHospital.
Fr Seamus hopes that this series of anecdotes may help to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Fr Seamus served the San Fernando Parish between 1995 and 2006. He has since returned to West Virginia, USA.

Christine lived in Rio Claro. She had recovered nicely in the hospital, and had just been discharged but needed a wheelchair. I told her I would try to get one for her.

The next day I went to a place where I knew they made wheelchairs, but they told me that they only rented them. I knew a store where I had seen them in the window, so I tried there.

 They were very nice but also very expensive – over a thousand US dollars. I decided to phone the administrator of that parish who is a nun.

I phoned from my parish and waited for someone to pick up the phone; at last a woman answered. She told me that the Administrator was giving a retreat somewhere and she did not know when she would return home.

She was about to put down the phone when I stopped her, since she had not received my message for Sister. “Oh, yes,” she said, “What is your message? I’ll give it to her.”

I told her that a local lady in her parish of Rio Claro was looking for a wheelchair since she had lost a leg. “A what?” she asked. “A wheelchair” I answered. She stammered, “I am working for the diocese of Port of Spain and I work in the Social Justice Department.”

She had been visiting Rio Claro and was ready to leave since Sister was not there, when my call came. She said, “We specialise in wheelchairs; we feel it is the one way we can reach those people who are handicapped and in need of a wheelchair to get around. I am the very person you are looking for!!”

How close God is to us when we are really doing his work. I thought, “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” Christine got her chair.

I suppose such a thing has happened to all of us, but have we recognised God’s hand in it? How close He is to us. We must give God the opportunity to help his people by our seeing the needs of others, and by being willing to act upon that inspiration from God.

This is the center and core of the message of Jesus Christ. “To love God with all your heart and to love your neighbour as yourself.” What a privilege it is to know that people in their need will come to us – not just for Mass and the Sacraments, but for material needs too.

What an exciting life is that of a priest. Get in touch with your pastor or call the bishop if you feel called to this life.