Washington D.C., Oct 13, 2010 / 00:09 am
Nearly 200 men and women from the Archdiocese of Washington will “run for vocations” in the upcoming Marine Corps Marathon and 10K Run to help raise money for seminarians.
The archdiocese’s “Run for Vocations” team will seek to raise awareness of the need for priestly vocations and raise money for seminarians. The marathon is slated for Oct. 31 in Arlington, Va.
Among those who will be running is James Peck, parent of a Marine and a parishioner from Jesus the Divine Word parish in Huntingtown, Md.
Peck was diagnosed with an aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer after completing the marathon last year. Despite chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the tumor returned and he has faced more surgery and treatment.
His wife Cecilia has faced her own ordeals. She and other women from the parish were on a mission trip in Haiti earlier this year and were trapped in the country after the disastrous January earthquake.
Through all this, the Pecks’ only son Nathan has served as an active duty Marine on the front lines of Afghanistan.
And Peck is looking forward to the upcoming marathon.
“A year later, despite my illness, I believe that God’s always been with me, and he will give me the strength to push myself to help holy priests in bringing God to people and people to God,” he said. “So, my 2010 participation is not any different, only now, it’s more special.”
The Marine Corps Marathon, now in its 35th year, claims to be the fourth largest marathon in the United States. The full marathon course is 26.2 miles long.
Among the archdiocesan runners, 49 are running in the full marathon while 138 are participating in the 10K. Funds raised through the team will help cover unexpected expenses for seminarians, including medical costs, travel expenses for family emergencies, and spiritual enrichment.
More information on the Archdiocese of Washington’s running team is available at http://www.adw.org/vocations/runforvocations.asp.
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