By Brother Stephen Markham, FSC, Ph.D.
De La Salle Christian Brother

Fr. Scott was the Sacramental Priest for Saints Catherine and Donatus parishes while I was Pastoral Administrator (1999 – 2002). We remained friends, and since 2016, when he generously donated his kidney to me, we consider ourselves, “kinda” related.

In 2015 my kidneys failed due to glomerilo-nephritis, a kidney disease. I was told I likely had roughly three weeks to live. Amazingly, dialysis kept me alive for thirteen months. Tom Zinkula, presently Archbishop of Dubuque and a friend of mine, suggested that the “Archdiocesan Witness” tell my story.

That January 17, 2016, article prompted Fr. Scott to send his blood to Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, hoping we would match. When I received a letter from Mayo saying they had found a match, I asked Fr. Scott, if he was sure he wanted to do this, he responded with a resounding “yes” and added: “you find joy in giving of yourself. The more you do that the better life is.” June 16, 2016, our surgeries took place.

Within days of our surgeries Fr. Scott’s mother died. A parishioner who owned an airplane flew him to Flint, Michigan and he celebrated the funeral Mass and gave the homily. He was back riding his bike within a month.

When the kidney did not start up parishioners joined Fr. Scott in his chapel and prayed for intercession from St. Aloysius Gonzaga. The kidney started up within minutes before the doctors feared we would lose it. We both acknowledge that medications may have played a role but we believe the saint’s intercession was involved. Each of us now cherish a beautiful icon of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.

Fr. Scott claims the benefits are huge and he is so grateful to be able to give. He likes to say he recommends it. For me the sense of gratitude is powerful and I am eternally grateful for my new lease on life thanks to Bishop-elect Scott Bullock’s heroic generosity.

A story in “The Witness” from the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, caught the attention of Fr. Bullock. “I read the article about Stephen. I thought it was sad he was in a situation like that. … I needed to consider being a donor more closely. I decided to take the next step.” After finding out his blood was a match, Father Bullock traveled to Rochester for extensive testing. He made the final decision to donate after an entire night in prayer at the clinic. (Reprinted from the May 1, 2016, “The Witness,” Official Publication of the Archdiocese of Dubuque)