Down hospital corridors, greeting nurses and making small talk, John humbly enters rooms of those in need... always with the Gospel of Matthew in his heart.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be open.” (Mt. 7:78)

On most Fridays and Saturdays, John begins his day at 6:45 a.m. when he travels to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Saginaw Township to pick up the sacred Hosts at the

Tabernacle for distribution. Once he checks in with Covenant’s Pastoral Office, John is handed the master list of the names and room numbers of those who need to be visited and receive Holy Communion.

With his practical walking shoes and a phone in his pocket tracking his every step, he begins. John will visit and pray with some 80 people over two days covering all three Covenant campuses: Harrison, Cooper and Mary Free Bed. John says listening to the sick and holding a patient’s hand is a gift.

“Most people want to [say the] ‘Our Father’ with me. It’s a relief and some happiness for them,” he said.

In addition to lending a listening ear, he will pray for and with the sick, bless them, share the Word of God and sometimes pray the Rosary and administer Holy Communion.

Over his two days at the hospital, John will walk some 20,000 steps in nine to 10 hours.

He’s also open to praying with anyone who asks for healing prayers, adding, “Everybody is welcome.”

John grew up with a strong example of living a faithful life from his father, whom he recalls “stopped to say hello to the Lord” every day before work. John has also devoted his life to Christ and the Catholic faith, ministering at Covenant for 20 years– a calling he discovered through his late wife, Louise Jean.

Known as “Jinka,” his wife was diagnosed with dementia in 2001. John and Jinka met while studying at Aquinas College, and they always shared their faith with one another and stayed active in their parish. After Jinka’s diagnosis, John didn’t want to leave his wife of 56 years at home. He found that being active and sharing their faith was beneficial for Jinka, and they began going together to distribute Holy Communion.

“It was a way to get my wife out and about. I didn't want to hide her away or isolate her,” he said. “So many people with dementia get forgotten because they're ashamed. I was never ashamed of her.”

Once Jean wasn't able to volunteer anymore due to declining health, John remained dedicated to visiting her daily at the care facility where she lived.

“He was tender and sentimental when he spoke about her. He was dedicated to her and the patients,” said Sarah Knochel, Covenant’s volunteer manager, who met John and his wife Jean when they began serving.

Jinka passed away in 2021, having volunteered more than 800 hours with Pastoral Care at Covenant Medical Center. John carries on, and this year marks two decades and 5,400 hours of ministry at Covenant.

Along with his ministry at Covenant Hospital, John spends two days a week delivering Holy Communion to the sick in Saginaw area nursing homes and care facilities. He spearheads some 30 people who visit local nursing homes and care facilities in pairs.

Deb Kraklow, a friend of John’s and the pastoral associate and music minister at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, said his dedication to his faith and serving others is inspiring. They'd both like to see the parish’s Eucharistic Ministries program and similar ministries at other parishes expand throughout the Diocese. For those interested in volunteering with St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, the program is easy to follow with available materials and the Christian Service Committee walks volunteers through the program.

John demonstrates humble dedication to his faith, Deb said, adding he’s among one of the last people to close and lock up church doors after the last Mass on Sunday. He also organized for the Nouvel Catholic Central Elementary school children to make monthly cards for nursing home residents and has delivered lap blankets to the sick.

“People are lonely, and those cards will make their day. I see those cards on their window sills or dressers. While other cards get moved or tossed away, the elementary kids’ cards stay up there. [The residents’] faces light up when those cards arrive,” she said.

Covenant’s Director of Pastoral Care and Education, Kathy Bonn, says what stands out about John as a volunteer is that he goes above and beyond.

“He is noted for always going back for a patient if they’re having a procedure, in the restroom or with the doctor [when he first stops by,]” she said. “I do not expect our volunteers to do that. He will be here for hours and hours to meet with, circle back and be with a patient. He does his due diligence.”

She went on to say that John is dedicated to his work and mission as a volunteer with a real passion for the sick. He is a family man and a spiritual man who has a unique connection with patients. He is often mistaken to be a priest because he’s known to kneel down and pray with patients.

“Because of his years of volunteer work, the nurses know him so well,” she said. “He’s a regular fixture [with] the way he interacts with people, the patients and staff. People get a kick out of him, with many referring to him as ‘Father’ John.”

Sarah, the volunteer manager, said John is always willing to offer prayer during volunteer events, which brings a sense of community and faith to the gathering. Likewise, John brings a sense of calm to the patients.

“He’s not someone who comes in with high stress. He has a peace about him,” she said.

When he walks into a room, John said, he always addresses the patient by their first name. To be able to hold someone’s hand when they’re sick or dying is “a blessing,” and over the years it has helped deepen his own faith, saying he “gets more out of it than they do.”

“[It is] one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It’s an honor,” he said. “I’ve dedicated my life to the sick. It’s my life’s message.”