We all received terrible news late yesterday. Michael Dubruiel, husband of Amy Welborn and father to their children, died of an apparent heart attack yesterday morning.
Michael collapsed this morning at the gym and was not able to be revived despite the efforts of EMTs and hospital personnel.
We are devastated and beg your prayers.
It’s been said many times that the Catholic blogosphere, the so-called St. Blog’s Parish, is like a real parish and in many ways it is: We have priests, religious, and laity. We celebrate the joys of births and marriages and ordinations and religious vows. And we grieve at illnesses and death. We have very real bonds with people we’ve never met in person and when we do meet it’s like meeting an old friend. Melanie and I have experienced much of those highs and lows as our entire relationship has spanned the time I’ve been a Catholic blogger and when Melanie received what would turn out to be a false preliminary diagnosis of cancer a couple of years ago, we felt the power of the prayers of the thousands of people—bloggers and readers alike—who lifted us up.
I pray that Amy and her sons and daughters feel the effects of those same prayers, multiplied. And I pray that Michael would even now be enjoying the beatific vision.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Update: Danielle Bean has set up a PayPal link for donations to help Amy. Amy herself has requested that those who would like to help to purchase Michael’s books.
He long ago promised God that he would give all the royalties of The How To Book of the Mass to the children’s college funds, which he did faithfully. It is in good shape because of that. Buy them, read them, and give them away to others. Spread the Word. That is what he was all about.
