Bishop Frederick Cambell of Columbus, OH, had amputation surgery today.

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From Father Z's Blog: In your kindness please pray for Bishop Fred Cambell of Columbus, OH, who is having amputation surgery today. Bishop Campbell is a former Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. [He became Bishop of Columbus in 2004. He had been the auxiliary here since 1999.]

Bishop Campbell will have his left leg amputated below the knee today, Monday, because of skin cancer, according to a letter released by the Catholic Diocese yesterday.

Doctors have diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma in Campbell, 65. He also has osteomyelitis, an infection, in multiple bones in his foot, and an open wound that will not heal.

In charity, pray for him.


From the Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Bishop Frederick Campbell will have his left leg amputated below the knee Monday because of skin cancer, according to a letter released by the Catholic Diocese yesterday.

Doctors have diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma in Campbell, 65. He also has osteomyelitis, an infection, in multiple bones in his foot, and an open wound that will not heal.

Campbell told clergy of his upcoming surgery in a letter mailed Thursday.

The bishop said in his letter that he expects to resume administrative duties soon after surgery and return to all his duties, including traveling the diocese, in about six weeks. He will be fitted with a prosthetic and is expected to walk again.

"He expects a full recovery and will not be stepping down as bishop," said Deacon Tom Berg Jr., vice chancellor of the diocese.

There's no indication the cancer has spread to other parts of the bishop's body, Berg said.

The bishop was told that his condition has a nearly 100 percent cure rate as long as the cancer and infection are removed.

He has been dealing with foot problems for about a year and a half. Campbell has served as bishop of the 23-county diocese since January 2005.

The bishop has been wearing an orthopedic shoe and using a cane or a wheelchair. Lately, his illness has kept him from traveling the diocese or presiding over confirmations at the parishes.

He has continued to carry out his administrative duties, such as meeting with clergy and officials.

Osteomyelitis affects about one out of every 5,000 people. Several factors can cause the disease, including a bone fracture that pierces the skin, an infection elsewhere in the body or a chronic open wound.

The bishop wrote in the letter that he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in mid-February. It is a common type of skin cancer, but the bishop said it is extremely rare on the foot.

More than 250,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, and it is most often caused by prolonged sun exposure. The disease affects men more than women and typically strikes people older than 50.

"We have a great deal of affection for the bishop," said the Rev. Larry Rice of the St. Thomas More Newman Center at Ohio State University. "We will certainly keep Bishop Campbell in our prayers and hope for a swift recovery."