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Article: Saving souls--and hearts: what is happening in one Oceanside, California, church community can happen throughout the nation. (Open Forum).
- Article from:
- The Saturday Evening Post
- Article date:
- November 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Saturday Evening Post Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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When the 63-year-old pastor of a Catholic church in New York City collapsed from a heart attack during midday services, his congregation froze, momentarily bewildered. Seconds later, cell phones emerged from pockets and purses, their owners tapping out 9-1-1 almost in unison. It took several minutes for the ambulance crew to arrive, but only a few more to determine that the monsignor was beyond recovery.
If that scenario had taken place 3,300 miles to the west, the outcome might have been different.
At the Church of St. Thomas More in Oceanside, California, there are usually at least a dozen members of the congregation at every service who are trained to ...