Fraternal charity: priest donates kidney
1 July 2009
By Julie Filby
After years of complex health issues, the kidneys of Father Steven Voss, parochial vicar at Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada, were failing.
On April 8—the Wednesday of Holy Week—the 30-year-old priest was driving to meet with his nephrologist. During the appointment, he expected the kidney specialist to tell him he needed to start dialysis: treatment required when kidneys no longer function on their own.
Before he arrived at the doctor’s office, he answered a call on his cell phone from his friend, Father Matthew Hartley, 31, parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Northglenn. The news he received not only changed the course of the conversation with his doctor; it changed his life.
A series of tests had just confirmed that Father Hartley was “ready, willing and able” to donate a kidney to Father Voss. Two weeks later on April 22, at University of Colorado Hospital, he received the new kidney. “This gift of life came from a brother priest, the news came during Holy Week, and the actual transplant occurred during the Easter season,” said Voss. “It connected the entire chain of events to the paschal mystery.” Father Hartley’s kidney has worked well for Father Voss from the moment it was received, providing newfound health, energy and enthusiasm.
“Transplanted kidneys can last anywhere from 10 to 20-plus years in a healthy recipient,” Father Voss explained. “It seems quite likely that Father Matt’s kidney will sustain my life and ministry for many years, perhaps even decades.”
Father Voss is scheduled to have follow-up surgery tomorrow to remove his native kidneys. He expects to be back at Spirit of Christ in early August.
Father Voss praised Father Hartley for his generosity, courage and care.
“To know that another person is willing to offer a part of themselves to sustain your existence is an overwhelming gesture of Christ’s love,” he said. “Father Matt and I will always share a special bond because of this event, one that was formed through a profound experience of participating in Christ’s love.”
The friendship of the two priests began when they both entered St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in fall 1999. They lived together and took many courses together at the seminary. Their friendship grew when they were both assigned to minister at the same community, Our Lady of Loreto Parish in Foxfield, in 2006.
Father Hartley’s act of charity emulated the example set by St. John Vianney, the patron of priests. The Year for Priests, which began June 19, commemorates the 150th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this special year, priests from around the world will renew their fidelity to Christ and their bonds of brotherhood.
“The one priesthood of Jesus Christ joins us together in a unique way,” said Father Hartley. “If a brother priest is in need, you do what you can to help.”
Father Voss’ health problems started soon after his first birthday. At 14 months, he was diagnosed with a form of cancer, neuroblastoma. He was treated aggressively until he was nearly 4 years old.
At age 19, doctors discovered cancerous lesions on both of his kidneys, which led to two surgeries over the next five years. Following the surgeries, 90 percent of his left kidney was intact, but only 10 percent of his right kidney remained.
In 2006, he was diagnosed with a degenerative kidney disorder— focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)—which ultimately resulted in the need for a transplant. Doctors have suggested it was the treatment he received for childhood cancer that led to the secondary renal cancer and FSGS.
Father Voss expressed gratitude to the countless individuals who went for donor testing including brother priests, family, friends, parishioners and many people he never even met.
It was incredible—I was really blessed,” Father Voss said. “But there are hundreds of people who are not as fortunate. Hundreds of people are waiting for a kidney, and they will die waiting.”
Both Fathers Voss and Hartley encourage people to consider being organ donors. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 102,000 candidates are on the national waiting list for organ transplants.