Richard Purcell

I recently attended a literary event at Modern Times Bookstore featuring Susan Casslan reading from her book "Conversations with Richard Purcell".  Wow, what a box full of gems!  Susan got to know the man, a Franciscan priest, while being one of his caregivers.  The spiritual insights were open, honest and struck me in the heart. She summarizes:

Richard Purcell was an openly gay Franciscan priest who died in 2011 of Lou Gehrig ’s disease. Although he had irreverent view of the Catholic Church, Purcell was widely known for his spiritual insights and his service to the poor. He lived as a true Franciscan, and he also garnered much of his spirituality from his two decades of work with the Tohono O'odham and the Akimel O'odham Indians in Arizona. Richard’s final years were spent in San Francisco where he ran a homeless shelter for men with AIDS.

Seek out this book!  Excerpts, photos and so much more are to be found at her web address:
http://www.susancasslan.com/