Mystery priest appears to pray over crash victim, then vanishes

[To Know is to Serve]

http://now.msn.com/mysterious-priest-performs-miracle-to-help-katie-lentz-from-car-crash

The notion of guardian angels is often explained away as coincidence, but count the crew that freed Katie Lentz after a car crash as true believers. Struck head-on by a driver now charged with DWI, Lentz had been pinned in her Mercedes for an hour on a Missouri highway when she asked responders to pray aloud with her. That's when a Catholic priest appeared, though there were no other bystanders nearby, to offer not only a prayer but a calming voice to the rescuers whose equipment had been unable to free her. Soon additional gear arrived to finish the job, but when crew members turned to thank the priest, he was gone. Said New London fire chief Raymond Reed, "It was nothing more than sheer faith and nothing short of a miracle."

[Tainted Scrolls]

Things like this are just very weird to me

[SherryLB]

Things like this are just very weird to me

It should be, and the reason why is this:  It does not happen.  Someone want some attention.  I believe in miracles base upon the scriptures.   

[Catholica]

SherryLB, what about Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch?

Acts 8

26Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route."
27So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, 8 that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot."
30Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
31He replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
32This was the scripture passage he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
33In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth."
34Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?"
35Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.
36As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?"
37
38Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing.

Disappearing clergy, entirely biblical.

[FireSword]

This is cool. So catholica you think the man was an angel? or a Priest supernaturally teleported?

It never occurred to me it could be a teleported priest until you wrote that scripture.

Also that the priest did not fully heal the crash victim, suggesting it might have been a priest instead of an healing angel. Not saying a priest or man cannot heal fully, as the apostles did heal fully, but that an angel would more likely have the power.
Also the priest/angel dressed as catholic priest, an angel would have worn vestments of higher rank such as a Baptist 

[Catholica]

The person who came was a priest. Angels cannot administer the sacraments. As for whether he disappeared, I can't know. It may have been natural or supernatural.

The real miracle here is that a person who was in need of the sacraments in such fire need was able, out of the blue to receive them. And that to me is the awesome part. God is awesome.

[FireSword]

The person who came was a priest. Angels cannot administer the sacraments. As for whether he disappeared, I can't know. It may have been natural or supernatural.

The real miracle here is that a person who was in need of the sacraments in such fire need was able, out of the blue to receive them. And that to me is the awesome part. God is awesome.

Iv;e heard of this type of thing on it supernatural.

I believe angels can heal, as they are ministering spirits. I don't think this priest baptized the girl or performed Eucharistic duties etc, just prayed for her healing. The Lord took this priest from his place and sent him to heal this girl. So not only the girl needed faith, but the priest needed faith to believe the Lord would transport him to the exact place he needed to be.

[Catholica]

The priest performed the sacrament of anointing the sick.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/08/the-mystery-continues-witness-claims-priest-who-vanished-after-anointing-crash-victim-looks-like-this-hollywood-actor/

"He came up and approached the patient and offered a prayer," New London Fire Chief Raymond Reed told KHQA-TV. "It was a Catholic priest who had anointing oil with him. A sense of calmness came over her, and it did us as well."

[FireSword]

The priest performed the sacrament of anointing the sick.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/08/the-mystery-continues-witness-claims-priest-who-vanished-after-anointing-crash-victim-looks-like-this-hollywood-actor/

"He came up and approached the patient and offered a prayer," New London Fire Chief Raymond Reed told KHQA-TV. "It was a Catholic priest who had anointing oil with him. A sense of calmness came over her, and it did us as well."

Doesn't that involve oil?

I don't think oil was used, just a prayer of faith.

[Catholica]

The article I quoted said the priest prayed and had anointing oil with him. It is very likely he used it.  And that is what the title of this article says.

[FireSword]

The article I quoted said the priest prayed and had anointing oil with him. It is very likely he used it.

Ok you win. Peace from God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ.

[Catholica]

They have discovered who the priest was:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/mystery-priest-in-missouri-rescue-revealed
Father Patrick Dowling says he was the priest on the scene, but he can't explain some mysterious events reported by rescuers.

by CARL BUNDERSON/CNA 08/12/2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The mysterious priest who gave anointing to a Missouri woman trapped in her wrecked car has been identified as Father Patrick Dowling of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

"I thank God and the amazingly competent rescue workers," Father Dowling stated in a comment on Catholic News Agency's original article on the Aug. 4 incident. (The priest also recounted his story in a comment posted at NCRegister.com for the National Catholic Register.)

"I thank them for making me welcome in such a highly charged situation and allowing me to minister as a priest," he said.

Katie Lentz was trapped in her older-model Mercedes after being struck by another vehicle that passed into her lane. That car's driver has been charged with DWI.

Rescue workers spent an hour trying to get Lentz out of her car, but the solid materials of its construction were dulling the fire department's emergency equipment.

Father Dowling was driving by Center, Mo., while on his way back from offering Mass in Ewing. A native of Ireland, Father Dowling was ordained a priest for the Jefferson City Diocese in 1982. He currently serves in prison ministry, and also ministers to the Spanish-speaking population of the Diocese of Jefferson City.

Though the highway was blocked off, Father Dowling revealed he "did not leave with the other cars." After parking as close as he could to the scene of the accident, he said he walked the remaining 150 yards.

"I asked the sheriff if a priest might be needed," he said.

"When the young lady asked that I pray her leg stop hurting, I did so. She asked me to pray aloud, and I did briefly," he said.

Father Dowling added, "The rescue workers needed space and would not have appreciated distraction. I stepped to one side and said my Rosary silently until the lady was taken from the car."

He observed that the rescue workers "worked with the harmony of a Swiss watch."

"The Highway Patrol sergeant was amazingly calm and completely in control," he said.

Once Lentz was removed from her vehicle, Father Dowling stated, "I then shook hands with the sheriff and thanked him as I left. I have to admire the calmness of everybody involved."


Mysterious Questions Remain

CNA spoke with Father Dowling Aug. 12, and he said that he gave Lentz the anointing of the sick as well as absolution.

He affirmed that it was in the normal duties of a priest, "except that there was something extraordinary it sounds like, in the sequence of events that coincided in time with the anointing."

"You must remember: There were many people praying there, many, many people ... and they were all praying, obviously, for healing and for her safety," he said.

"I was probably part of the answer to their prayers: I came by, and anointed, and absolved," he said.

But Father Dowling said he could not explain other mysterious events that coincided with his ministering at the accident scene.

"I didn't say another word," he said. "I did not say anything like the machinery would begin to work or they would succeed in getting her out of the car."

The priest said, "That did not come from my lips, though two people heard it."

[DaveW]

Hmmmm - another  Father Dowling Mystery .....

[Catholica]

It sounds to me like there was still a miracle.  I believe that it was a miracle that the priest came, and just after the sacrament was administered, the words were heard "Your equipment will start working now" and "you will succeed in getting her out of the car".  That may have been an angel working in concert with the priest who uttered those words.  Likely both the priest's annointing and the calm that came with his presence and the words that were mysteriously uttered were God's hand in this situation.

[mclees8]

The person who came was a priest. Angels cannot administer the sacraments. As for whether he disappeared, I can't know. It may have been natural or supernatural.

The real miracle here is that a person who was in need of the sacraments in such fire need was able, out of the blue to receive them. And that to me is the awesome part. God is awesome.

Catholica there was no mention of sacraments. He aided in calming her fears and encouragement to the rescuers.

I wonder if Katie was a Catholic. I don't believe this was any plug for the Catholic church but the priest in his garb was a symbol that God was present. 

[Catholica]

The person who came was a priest. Angels cannot administer the sacraments. As for whether he disappeared, I can't know. It may have been natural or supernatural.

The real miracle here is that a person who was in need of the sacraments in such fire need was able, out of the blue to receive them. And that to me is the awesome part. God is awesome.

Catholica there was no mention of sacraments. He aided in calming her fears and encouragement to the rescuers.

mclees, they found the priest who did it and he attests that he administered the sacrament of annointing of the sick.

The original article simply left out this detail.  It perhaps was missed.  The second article I posted said that the priest had annointing oil with him and the title includes "...priest who vanished after annointing..".  The final article, which actually was written by someone who spoke to the priest, confirms.

I wonder if Katie was a Catholic. I don't believe this was any plug for the Catholic church but the priest in his garb was a symbol that God was present. 

I don't know if Katie was Catholic.  It's a good question.  In any case, even if Katie isn't Catholic, it couldn't hurt her.  I think priests don't necessarily ask questions like that in dire situations like this.  There is a high probability that she is baptized.  She asked for his prayers, she desired what he was doing.  That was a demonstration of faith that would have been enough for God to work through the sacrament.

[Catholica]

Did Guardian Angel Save Teen? Katie Lent Saved By Mysterious Priest After Crash

Mysterious priest mysterious no more

Father Dowling's complete interview with KHQA