For Fr David Catterall, raising more than $22,000 for prostate cancer research was an achievement but also an opportunity to witness to Christ’s faithfulness and love.
Despite damage to his lungs due to metastatic prostate cancer, the 50-year-old parish priest of St Mary MacKillop at Oran Park has completed a 30km walk and been the country’s top fundraiser for the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s “Walk for Him” campaign.
Joining him for the last eight kilometres on 4 August were more than 100 of his parishioners, family members and friends.
The Catholic Weekly previously told Fr Catterall’s story of a cancer diagnosis weeks before his ordination to the priesthood in 2000 and subsequent health battles, along with his achievements and celebrations as the founding priest of the Wollongong diocese’s busiest parish.
While he walked a little most days during Men’s Health Week in June, his plans to end his 30km goal with a group walking pilgrimage in June were delayed after he suffered a fall.
The next opportunity providentially lined up with the parish’s festivities in honour of its patron St Mary MacKillop, who said “Remember, we are but travellers here.”
It was also the day following Sydney’s parish renewal conference, which Fr Catterall attended with the parish’s Deacon Sam Gennaoui and a number of parishioners.
He said it gave them inspiration and confirmed the value of their event.
Setting off from the Oran Park church after a blessing, wearing “Walk For Him” branded t-shirts and t-shirts specially made for Fr Catterall’s family by his sister, the group were greeted by honks and horns all the way along busy Camden Valley Way.
For Fr Catterall it was always about walking not only with those suffering from cancer but walking with Christ together, amid all of life’s joys and sorrows.
“It was not just about me,” he said.
“People told me it gave them an opportunity as they walked along to share their own story with other parishioners.
“Many were walking and praying for their own loved ones who have been touched by illness.
“It was an opportunity for us to be a parish and to be a public witness in a different way and a powerful testament that in moments of pain and suffering we are offered a sense of family.”
This is the first time Fr Catterall took part in the national fundraising and awareness campaign and more than 200 donors, many who know and love him, helped him far surpass his original goal of $10,000.
“Father David, this is a great cause, we are so humbled to assist you with this donation,” wrote one donor.
“Hopefully you will see the back of this illness and your life will be back to normal within you, your family and your parish. We pray for you.”
“We will be walking with you on the day,” wrote another. “You are and have always been an inspiration to follow.”
Fr Catterall knows God has reached people through his illness and that some of his most “beautiful” moments in ministry have been in hospital waiting rooms or having chemo or radiotherapy.
“Some of my greatest preaching over the last 25 years hasn’t taken place standing at the lectern but has been through my presence more than anything, in the situations where God has put me,” he said.
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