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Bucknell
Basketball Coach Flannery
Announces Retirement.
Bucknell
University President Brian C. Mitchell announced
this morning that Bison men's basketball head
coach Pat Flannery has decided that effective
July 1, 2008, he will retire as coach and will
assume a new fundraising position within the
University's Office of Development and Alumni
Relations. Flannery, a graduate of Bucknell,
has been the most successful coach in Patriot
League history.
Coaches like Pat Flannery come around only once
in a while. His love for the sport and his players
will never be matched. I pray that he has a
long and enjoyable retirement. I wrote the field
hockey coach at Bucknell today and told her
we can thank The Almighty for Pat Flannery.
I think that says it all!
JV
Prayer Request!
John Nicholas Vrana Passes On.
At 7:01am yesterday, March 6, 2008. John Nicholas
Vrana, 88 years old of Pittsburgh, PA , left
this earth for his next assignment. Mr. Vrana
was survived by his three sons, John Jr, Julius,
Michael and granddaughters Emily and Morgan.
A devout Catholic and dedicated family man,
Mr Vrana gave all he had to his family. His
oldest son, John and I often discuss that there
is no apprenticeship or book by Hockey Bob or
Ozzie Nelson on how to be the perfect parent.
Not until we became parents ourselves that will
realize how difficult it is to teach oneself
to be a good parent. That no matter how they
acted towards us, they, out of love, did the
best they could. Mr Vrana will be remembered
for having complete love for his three sons.
There is never a book written nor a movie made
about these great family men. Every town has
them, thank God! Please remember John Nicholas
Vrana and his family in your prayers! JV
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Friends, It has been a busy week for prayer
requests. Please remember our friends in need
in your daily prayer. Thanks! John V
Robbie Mac at the Phillies informed me that
Coach Davey Lopes has been diagnosed with prostate
cancer. The medical staff believes it was detected
early and Mr Lopes has a very good chance at
complete recovery.
The Vrana clan in Pittsburgh informed me today
the John Nicholas Vrana, 88 years old, has been
admitted to the hospital with lung problems.
He has lived a long life and has been a dedicated
father and grandfather to his family. His chances
of recovery are slim.
My older sister, Anne Marie, has taken a turn
for the worse.
I have not heard anything about 11 year old
Harris Armstrong. He fighting a courageous battle
against terminal cancer. The response to our
prayer request for this young man has been incredible!
This speaks volumes about the great people who
I have been blessed with in my life! Thank you
all!
Friends,
I received an email today from RC Bucky Waters
about an 11 year old cancer patient named Harris
Armstrong. The young man is fighting a courageous
battle. He is in very bad shape. Here is what
Coach Waters sent me on young Harris.
"We were able to bring him to Duke Cancer
Center and to be honest no one has ever beaten
what he has anywhere; not just at Duke. His
tumor is an Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Pray hard
for Harris and count your own blessings, pray
strong."
So tomorrow morning at 10:00am Eastern Time,
Let's us together pray for Harris Armstrong
and his family. RC will be keeping me informed
and I will pass it along. I will quote a phrase
that I learned from the Great Archbishop Fulton
J Sheen. "Miracles can and Miracles do
happen!" God Bless you all! Prayers! John
V
The Next Generation.
It seems like
a million years ago when I addressed a young
group of High School Senior Hockey Players.
I did not give them a great speech on their
accomplishments, I asked them for their help.
I told them to go out, get educated and come
back because I needed their help. For they are
the next generation of parents and coaches that
will set the tone for the following generation.
I believed those words four years ago and I
believe in them even more today.
Anyone can debate what is a victory or what
is a loss, my belief is that participation is
the greatest victory and that keeping a young
child or teen off the streets and in school,
is the true test of winning The future is not
based on who is going to win the Presidency
on the First Tuesday in November, it is based
on what we, as the caretakers of the next generation,
do to prepare these future parents and teachers.
The Late Great Anne C Vrana always stressed
to be about there is a huge difference between
words and actions. As we prepare for a new era
in youth athletics. An era of friendship and
cooperation, where money will never be a reason
that a child or teen can not play a sport. We
will be remembered for our actions, not our
words. JV
Congratulation Robbie Mueller!
I am pleased
to announce that Robbie Mueller, one of the
fine young college students I met over the last
few years through the Campus Crusade for Christ,
has been accepted to the University of Minnesota
Pharmacy School beginning next fall. I met Young
Robert almost 3 summers ago in Ocean City, NJ
and we have kept in close contact. He and I
worked together and shared many life experiences.
We try to attend Mass atleast once a year together.
It is an honor to be blessed with such a fine
young man in my life. Once we gain charity status,
I am going to propose to the Trustees that we
help him in some way. I pray for his success
and I will be heading to Minnesota in alittle
over four years to attend his graduation, God
Willing. I look forward to the day when Robbie
will fill one of my prescriptions! Congrads
my good friend Robbie and I know you will continue
to pass The Word of God through your new vocation!
He will also be joining our prayer network and
inviting members of The Campus Crusade to join
us in prayer. JV
Prayer Requests
Friends, One
of the things I am most proud of is Our Prayer
Network. We have certainly made more than a
few people feel comfortable in their time of
need. The work of our Chaplain, Father Gerry
Bourke, is something truly special. With my
ability to travel again, Thank God, and my work
schedule taking shape. I am going to send out
one weekly prayer request on Sunday evenings.
Any request can be sent to me at anarv22@aol.com
and it will be included in our weekly news letter.
If something major happens, I will obviously
post such a need up right a way.
Brian and I were at the Bucknell-Holy Cross
Basketball Game on Saturday. The Bucknell Athletic
Department were gracious hosts! I did not get
a chance to talk to Coach Flannery, but He looked
as handsome as ever and we continue to pray
for his health, happiness and success! It seems
wherever we go, we make new friends. I had a
chance to spend time with Bucknell Marketing
Assistant Eric MacCabe. He is a fine young fellow
from St Francis of Pennsylvania. He seems to
be a man with an extremely bright future! I
pray for his success also!
In meeting new friends, our old ones always
seem to pop up also. There was a true Collingswood,
New Jersey Legend at Bucknell Saturday Night!
Brian and I were truly blessed with running
into Former West Virginia and Duke Head Basketball
Coach, The Great RC Bucky Waters! Coach Waters
spent a few minutes with us after the game.
Conversation included our Collingswood days,
those great Holy Cross-Boston College wars of
the 70's and Romans:12:12. Lots of smiles and
laughs. RC promised to drop us a few words of
encouragement from time to time.
Tomorrow, 2/20 will mark my 47th Birthday. I
have already received calls and emails from
a few of you. This day will also mark me entering
my 18th year of being sober. It has been a bumpy
journey with periods of hurt and stress, but
I would never change one thing in my life. Everyone
on this list has special meaning to me. Thank
you for tolerating me. I love you all! Prayers!
John V
Friends, I was informed today that the Father
of our own Shelly Marie Lucas has been diagnosed
with Colon Cancer. The good news is that the
doctor said it has not spread to any other organ
and they should be able to remove it all via
surgery without needing chemo therapy. This
all happened less than a year after he had that
he had his quintuple bypass surgery. I have
not met this gentleman in person, but I can
say that he did a great job raising Shelly.
She has been a loyal friend and an active participant
in all we do. Please remember Mr. Lucas in your
Daily Prayer. Much thanks! God Bless! John V
It has come to my attention that a fine man
that I have crossed paths with, Pat Flannery,
Head Basketball Coach at Bucknell University,
has been unable to coach after being hospitalized
for an undisclosed illness. Coach Flannery's
record in basketball speaks for itself. His
fiery sideline demeanor truly shows his love
for his players and the game of basketball.
But far beyond his success on the hardwood,
Pat is a wonderful and caring man! I ask everyone
to remember him in daily prayer. Also, please
remember his father, who left this earth for
his next assignment in the last calendar year.
Much thanks! John V
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