WelCom June 2019:
Bishop Charles Drennan and Monsignor Brian Walsh outside the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Palmerston North. Photo: WelCom
A message from Bishop Charles, 22 May 2019
Dear Everyone,
As many of you will or may have heard Mons Brian Walsh, our Vicar General, some days ago had what was described as a ‘cardiac event’ while returning from his holiday in South Africa.
He collapsed at Sydney Airport and was taken to St George’s hospital, which is a teaching hospital with a very good reputation relatively near to the airport.
Tests have shown that deep vein thrombosis caused two blood clots to travel to his lungs and this in turn impacted negatively on his heart. Mons Brian is still in intensive care and further tests need to be undertaken to determine how the heart has been affected. In the meantime, the tubes have been removed from his mouth and he is now able to sit up in a chair and chat. His brother Michael assures me that his humour has returned too and the quips are flowing freely!
Many messages of prayer and care have come into my office and into the Cathedral parish office and elsewhere. Thank you very much for these and please do continue to keep Mons Brian in your prayers. I intend to fly to Sydney for a couple of days myself to see Brian and to hear first-hand from the doctors how progress is likely to unfold.
This news came as a big shock to all of us but things are now tracking in a positive direction. Thanks be to God.
+ Charles