Update on Fr. Peter Gillquist - June 27

Since we last updated, the site that has the authoritative information about Fr. Peter's condition has been updated a few times, which we paste here.

Your continued prayers for Fr. Peter and his family are appreciated. Many of us who have converted to Orthodoxy were heavily influenced by Fr. Peter and his books on conversion.

June 22, 2012

Our family shared a special time in the hospital room with Fr. Peter this morning, reading aloud your kind words of encouragement which have been posted on this site. Thank you for your continued prayerful support.

June 24, 2012

Fr. Peter is still in the hospital, surrounded by his wife, children, and a grandchild who is carrying his first great-grandchild. More family will be en route to Bloomington throughout the week.

We discovered today that reading your posts is not only encouraging to Fr. Peter, but also a helpful diversion from his physical pain.

As will happen, it seems there is some mis-information being circulated on the internet regarding Fr. Peter’s condition. Please always refer to this site for up-to-date and accurate information from those at his bedside.

June 25, 2012

We have been anticipating test results regarding one possible management option for individuals with recurrent advanced melanoma of a mutated variety, and today we received the news that Fr. Peter’s cancer does not fit that criterion. The emphasis of his care is on palliative care and prayer, so we are working on both. Fr. Peter, Kh. Marilyn, and their children are strengthened through your prayers.

June 27. 2012
Fr. Peter is sleeping more and more each day. He will be transferred to a hospice facility this afternoon, where his family will continue to participate in his care and comfort management, together with a 24-hour nursing staff. Your continued prayers for a peaceful journey are appreciated more than you know.

Please Pray for Fr. Peter Gillquist - updated 6/20

The following announcements are from the website of All Saints' Orthodox Church in Bloomington, Indiana, where Fr. Peter Gillquist has been attached since his retirement.  If you have read my book or my story online or have heard me speak about my pilgrimage to Orthodoxy, you'll know how important Fr. Peter has been to me.  - Fr. James



Fr. Peter Senior’s Health




June 10, 2012

In 1999, Fr. Peter E. Gillquist (retired and attached to All Saints) was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. Miraculously, he survived through the grace of God, the prayers of the saints, and the care of physicians. His prayer was to be given more time to assist in starting more mission churches, and to grow old with his wife, Khouria Marilyn.

Now, 13 years later, he has again been diagnosed with melanoma — only now stage 4. We are awaiting further word on a prognosis and possible treatment options. Scroll down to see any updates posted on this page. God bless you.



***For Immediate Release***

June 14, 2012…

The Very Rev. Fr. Peter E. Gillquist has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. Fr. Peter survived a diagnosis of stage 3 melanoma in 1999 and another bout in 2010. He, Kh. Marilyn, and family await test results to determine treatment options in the management of this aggressive cancer.

The Gillquists request your prayers as they continue a lifelong journey of faith in the Great Physician, remembering that our communal prayer is for the healing of soul and body, and in the Lord’s time, a Christian ending to life, that is painless, blameless and peaceful.

Fr. Peter retired from 25 years of service to the Antiochian Archdiocese as Director of the Department of Missions and Evangelism in January. He is attached to All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Bloomington, Indiana, where his son, Fr. Peter Jon, serves as pastor.


***UPDATE 6/20 ******

June 19, 2012

Fr. Peter is in the hospital tonight with a fever. His physician felt it would be the best place for him to receive care as the doctors search for a possible infection causing the temp. Thank you for your continued prayers.

June 20, 2012

Fr. Peter is still in the hospital. During tests early this morning to determine the cause of his fever, it was discovered that his cancer is moving even more quickly than anticipated, and has spread to many of his vital organs and bone. Fr. Peter’s children are travelling now to be with he and Kh. Marilyn. Your prayers for their safe travel, and for Fr. Peter and Kh. Marilyn’s continued peace during this time of illness are appreciated.

The St. Dimitrie Post

Greetings from Cluj this most blessed and beautiful of days.    The previous email that I sent out was from Nairobi, in Kenya. We were preparing to go on to Bukoba, Tanzania. I hope that you enjoy the pictures about our work there, and the comments below each picture.      At the invitation of Metropolitan Jeronymos of Mwanza, long term OCMC missionary in Bukoba, Felice Stewart, (left), Fr. Andrew Harrison (OCA), and I were in Bukoba, Tanzania, and gave a short course to the local parish priest's on how to help people in people in the parishes who have problems with alcoholism or drug addiction. On the far right is Maria Roeber, long term OCMC missionary. She is in Bukoba helping the archdiocese to establish a medical clinic. She is doing a very nice and much needed project.      I must admit that it was a learning experience for me as well. The stories of how alcoholism affects the parishes in the villages is tragic. They already knew that HIV, spouse abuse, and much of the extreme poverty of the area was related to the high use of home made alcohol (mostly made from banana's) and local drugs like "khat", which is something like a cross between cocaine and coffee.       The were one of the nicest groups of priest's that I have worked with. And very interested, wanting to have the information and to learn how to help their people.   A 12 Step support group in a village started by the parish priest and Felice Stewart. This is one of two groups she has started, and we hope to help develop these groups in more parishes as we go along.        All in all, the training was a great success, and I was invited back to help Felice to continue the work. Felice and I are busy sorting out how we will continue. For now I will send her materials on addictions that can be translated into Swahili, which will be distributed to the priests for use in the parish. It is very much like what we are doing in Romania. I will close for now by wishing you a most blessed and Christ filled day. May our good and loving Lord give you every good thing from His heavenly treasures, joy, peace and a sense of his divine love for all of us.    And I do thank you for your interest in our work, please do keep us in your prayers, we all need them.   In His Love,   One Day at a Time,   Floyd & Ancuta Frantz, OCMC Missionaries to Romania   As as a final note, please remember that as OCMC missionaries we are 100 % reliant upon your financial support to continue our work through OCMC. Please consider a small gift so that we can continue to do our Lord's work.   If you can make such a donation, send it to:   OCMC 220 Mason Manatee Way St. Augustine, Fl. 32086   and please mark the donation "STDIMITRIE/ROMANIA so that we can use the funds directly for the St. Dimitrie Program.   Online and credit card donations are also possible by contacting OCMC, or visiting the web site at www.ocmc.org.   And please feel free to pass along our email to others who you believe might be interested in our work here in Romania.     If you would like to contact us through email, please use: Stdimitrie@yahoo.com for myself and the St. Dimitrie Program, orAncutafrantz@yahoo.com for Anca and the Protection Center.   I am also shedding my dinosaur skin, and Twittering. If you too do Twit, just hit the link and it will put you over to my page.       Please also go to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center web site at www.ocmc.org to read online about our missionary activities here in Romania.

We do thank you for your interest in our work, for your support, and most of all for your prayers.   In His Love, One day at a time, Floyd & Ancuta Frantz, OCMC Missionaries