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I was in Chicago for the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show. By coincidence, directly across the aisle from my One More Soul display was author “JD” giving away free copies of his new book Drafted To Serve. Drafted . . . is a book about miracles–not the typical physical healing miracles that drive the canonization process. No, these”miracles” COULD be degraded to mere “coincidences” were they not so astonishing and so common. They are a result of JD being financially strapped and desperate to capitalize on Pope John Paul II’s World Youth Day VIII visit to Denver 21 years ago. JD was quite regularly in hopeless situations, praying for JP II for help–and getting it.
I was at WYD VIII with my friend Jim Vititow and 7 young people. It was an incredible “pilgrimage” that Drafted To Serve gave me an opportunity to relive . John Paul II coined the phrases “Culture of Life” and “Culture of Death” and popularized their use (as in this program’s title “The Quest for a Culture of Life in America”). Who would deny JPII’s impact in leading us to a Culture of Life–a still elusive fact, but a victory guaranteed by a faithful God. I’m thinking especially of his Gospel of Life and Theology of the Body.
JD is a Colorado native, married with two sons, a service disabled Vietnam War veteran, having served five tours on swift boats. He graduated from the University of Denver with a dual degree in finance and real estate and currently owns a nationwide business in Denver. Drafted To Serve is his first book, written during three years of nearly full-time effort, which he felt compelled to complete in order to tell the world what happened when Pope John Paul II came to Denver in 1993.
JD and his buddy TP originally agreed to tell no one but the Catholic Church of the events that had taken place. They felt that due to the incredible nature of the story neither wished to step into the spotlight and have their lives turned upside down by the attention the story was certain to generate.
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