“What do we do when our plans are interrupted?” Pilgrimage to Villanova
Our annual pilgrimage for the summer of 2026 this year led us to the Main Line in Pennsylvania, where we found ourselves at Pope Leo’s alma mater, Villanova University!
On August 2nd, we drove down to the first university founded by the Order of St. Augustine- and walked through a campus filled with Augustinian history and spirituality. Walking across the bridge towards St. Thomas of Villanova, we were in awe of the beauty of the twin spires of the church towering over us.
While exploring campus grounds, we took a photo with the largest portrait of Pope Leo we have ever seen! Pope Leo XIV, who was born Robert Francis Prevost, is a Villanova alumnus from the Class of 1977. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at Villanova. It was fun to think about the first U.S.-born pope walking the same grounds we were… Maybe a future pope walks around Kean University now?
We were fortunate to have friend of the ministry Fr. Francis Caponi OSA with us for a private Sunday Mass in the Corr Chapel. Fr. Caponi shared a little Villanova history and gave a tour of “who was joinung us for Mass,” and spoke about the stained glass saints above us.
One of these saints was the focus of our afternoon, Servant of God Fr. Bill Atkinson, OSA.
Following Mass, we were joined by 41st Prior Provincial at the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, Fr. Rob Hagan OSA. (He also serves as team chaplain for the fampus Villanova men's basketball program!) Fr. Hagan personally knew SOG Fr. Atkinson, and was able to share with us about his life and legacy.
Fr. Bill Atkinson was a quadriplegic Augustinian Friar, priest and teacher. While studying for the priesthood in New Hamburg, New York on February 22, 1965, Fr. Bill was in a tragic tobogganing accident that rendered him a quadriplegic. He resolved to continue his studies to become a priest and, despite all odds, with the help of his family, community of Friars, friends - as well as a special dispensation from Pope Paul VI - was ordained the first and only known quadriplegic Catholic priest on February 2, 1974.
Known as an ordinary man called to live an extraordinary life, Fr. Bill passed away on September 15, 2006. Fr. Hagan shared with us the process of how the Augustinians and community that surrounded Fr. Bill worked towards officially opening his Cause of Canonization in September 2015. Fr. Hagan posed the question, “what do we do when our plans are interrupted?” Learning from the wisdom of Fr. Bill, we should not lose hope, not give up, and seek out new ways to follow the Lord’s path for us, even if they are not the ways we planned.
We ended our pilgrimage to Villanova by entering the church, where in 2024 Fr. Bill Atkinson was reinterred and translated to an alcove to the left of the altar. We prayed with Fr. Bill and spent time in silence to wrap up our trip.
Where should KeanCatholics go next?!
