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Rev. Patrick Dowling
A priest nicknamed the Angel Priest for his role in helping a teenage accident victim and disappearing immediately after, have been found.
The angel priest has been identified as Rev. Patrick Dowling of the Jefferson City Diocese.
A press release by the diocese said Father Dowling had been travelling Highway 19 between Mass assignments in northern and central Missouri when he arrived near the crash scene August 4.
Dowling identified himself in a comment posting on a story about his actions on the National Catholic Register website Friday night. The posting, one among many, appeared to go unnoticed for several days.
“I had Mass in Ewing MO as the regular priest was sick,” he wrote. “As I was returning, I arrived at the scene. The authorities were redirecting traffic. I waited till it was possible to drive up closer. I parked behind a large vehicle about 150 yards from the scene. I asked the Sheriff’s permission and approached the scene of the accident.
“I absolved and anointed Katie, and, at her request, prayed that her leg would not hurt. Then I stepped aside to where some rescue personnel and the (rescue helicopter) pilots were waiting, and prayed the rosary silently.
“I left when the helicopter was about to take off, and before I got to my car…”
Adding to the mystery, Fire Chief Raymond Reed said the department took 80 photos of the scene and the priest did not appear in any of them.
Dowling is currently serving in prison ministry and in parish ministry to Spanish-speaking Catholics.
