From OSV News:
When Deacon Vincent Charles is on a training run and meets a car, instead of waving a greeting, he now offers them the Sign of the Cross.
“It’s forehead-to-belly, not a little one,” he said. “While I was running a few weeks ago, something — like the Holy Spirit — told me to do this, to spark in their mind that Christ is important. It’s become a regular practice for me to share that sign of God’s love. I think it’s going to grow in others.”
Deacon Vince, of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Isanti, has a unique reason to be training — on April 21, he’ll run in the 129th Boston Marathon. Wearing race bib No. 24830 and in the age category of 65-69, he’ll start off at 10:50 a.m., in the third wave of runners and the eighth corral. Professional athletes and para-athletes begin earlier.
He’ll wear a blue T-shirt he designed, another way to honor his spiritual and family roots.
“In front I placed pictures of a cross and of my dad and me on a turkey hunt, with the words, ‘I run for my Father,’” he told The Central Minnesota Catholic, magazine of the St. Cloud Diocese. “On the back is a statue of Mary in Medjugorje, and below that is me with Mom holding roses on Mother’s Day. It says, ‘I run for my Mother.’ Two other important people in my life who recently passed are each on a sleeve — my sister Sandy and Ryan, a close friend of my son.”
Along the race route, Deacon Vince will be praying for 300 people from his parishes who have passed the last 10 years. When he preached a couple weeks ago, he asked for prayer intentions and received many. To pray and run hands-free, he’s recorded the names, intentions, and healing rosaries and novenas. His wife, Karen, as well as daughter Cassie, son Nick and grandson Jeremy are among those who’ll cheer him on in Boston — they’ll use copies of that tape to add their prayers.
“I’m proud to still be able to do this in my age range. But I’m short with short legs — those tall guys with long legs take two strides to my five,” Deacon Vince said.
