A Push For Sainthood For Delaware County Native
By David Madden
VILLANOVA, Pa. (CBS) -- A quadriplegic priest from Upper Darby could soon be on the road to sainthood in the Catholic Church, if some of those who knew him best are successful in their efforts to push the idea.
They call him "Father Bill."
Reverend William Atkinson did not let a toboggan accident that left him just about paralyzed from the neck down in 1965 stop him from getting ordained and serving in the Augustinian order. He taught at Monsignor Bonner for years, using a motorized wheelchair to get around until his health failed. He died in 2006.
Talk to one of those who knew him, Father Michael DiGregorio, who runs the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. He'll tell you this was a Christian life well lived.
"Those of us who knew Father Bill very personally knew the kind of witness that he gave to being a person of virtue," DiGregorio told KYW Newsradio. "A person who gave a very good example in the midst of great challenges in life."
The hope now is to get enough written testimony on Atkinson's character and commitment from others to convince leaders within the order to take their case to the Vatican.
"Our efforts right now are to make Father Bill better known among the public and then have the public tell us what they think is important for us to know," DiGregorio said.
You can address your letters to: Father Bill's Cause, Augustinian Provincial Offices, PO Box 340, Villanova PA 19085.
