FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Healing Mass for Mahopac Youngster this Sunday

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MaryEllen Odell
Putnam County Executive
(845) 808-1001 

July 11, 2013

Healing Mass for Mahopac Youngster this Sunday

A little boy who as a cancer survivor read his poem “Faith” and helped to cut the ribbon at Mahopac’s June 1 Relay for Life event, is fighting for his life as he recovers from surgery to remove a recently diagnosed second cancer.

Nicknamed “Little Soldier,” Sean Callahan, the eldest of Dan and Janine Callahan’s six children, is recovering at home and must now embark on a long journey of yet to be determined treatments to help get his latest cancer, a pleuropulmonary blastoma in his brain, into remission.

According to a close family source, chemotherapy has been ruled out as an option.

This Sunday, July 14, a special Healing Mass will be offered by Fr. Jarlath Quinn for Sean’s recovery at 8:45 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 221 E. Lake Blvd. in Mahopac, NY 10541.

It is the second Healing Mass Fr. Quinn has said for his young parishioner.  The first took place on June 19, the day of Sean’s most recent surgery.

A special second collection will be held and proceeds from this collection will be given to the Callahan family who will be present for the Healing Mass. Refreshments will be served following the Mass.

But prayers for Sean’s recovery are uppermost on the family’s thoughts. In a message posted on the Mahopac Relay for Life Facebook page where Sean’s progress is chronicled, the Callahans posted their thanks for the community’s prayers and support.

“We are extremely thankful as a family to all of Sean’s family and friends for all they have done and are doing . . . Thank you to everyone for all they are doing to support Sean and to assist us. It is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.”

“I cannot begin to imagine what the Callahan family must be going through right now,” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell. “I know prayer can be quite powerful and my prayers are certainly with all of them right now.”

Mahopac’s Relay for Life director, Tracy Walsh, posts updates on Sean whose Relay team is Sean’s Soldiers. 

“Sean’s entire Relay family is praying for him,” she said.