Franciscan brothers from Minnesota stand with Schindler family to end

Published: 2005-03-31

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) -- Pictures of their black robes and silver crucifixes appeared on the front pages of the biggest newspapers. Franciscan Brothers of Peace Paul O'Donnell and Hilary McGee of Minnesota are a long way from home, supporting the Schindler family in Florida in their losing battle to keep daughter Terri Schiavo alive. The brain-damaged woman died March 31 at the age of 41. "It's strange that this tiny little community would be in this worldwide situation," Brother Paul said of his order's sudden visibility in a recent phone interview with The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. "Strange -- and yet it makes sense if you connect the dots." The dots that led from St. Paul to Pinellas Park, Fla., began in 1982 when University of St. Thomas graduate Michael Gaworski founded the friary, dedicating the order to serving the poor and torture victims with an unflinching pro-life position.

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