Looking for an Intercessor on All Saint' Day? How 'bout Minnesotan, Father Darin Didier?

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He listens to those in need. He is there when people want to cry on his shoulder. He loves unconditionally. He gives hope to people in despair. Some think he helps heal the sick. And he does it all from his grave.

Even in death, Darin Didier continues to touch people’s lives.

Bonnie and Len Didier of Alexandria describe their son as a caring, loving boy and man who was always reaching out to people. Len could spend hours telling poignant stories of how his son made a difference and changed people’s lives for the better.

Darin reached out to people with drug and alcohol problems. He prevented two people from committing suicide. He helped people through rough times.

From his grave at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Alexandria, those stories of healing and hope continue, and to some, are nothing short of miraculous.

Darin grew up in Alexandria and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1991. An avid runner, he was pursuing an education in physical therapy when someone put a slight twist in his plans.

It was God.

Darin, who was raised Catholic, had one more year of school left when he took a trip to Phoenix with a friend. While there, they visited with a priest who Darin knew. That visit changed his mind about what he wanted to do with his life.

He wanted to be a priest.

“Darin came back and said that Father Luke could read his soul,” Len recalled. “He wanted to quit school and become a priest.”

With only one more year of physical therapy school left, his parents convinced him that he should finish what he started.

“I told him, ‘If the good Lord wants you, he can wait a year,’ ” Len said.

After he completed that year and earned his degree, Darin attended a minor seminary school for one year. Having spent several years in college, he needed a break from school for awhile, so he worked as a physical therapist for two years.

Len was right. God was still waiting.

In the fall of 2000, Darin answered the call when he began a five-year education at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland. Things went well until a visit home in May 2003, when Bonnie noticed a strange mole on her son’s neck.

“I noticed it and thought he really needed to get it checked,” Bonnie said. “Something inside me told me I should be worried about it.”

A biopsy revealed it was cancerous and he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Within a week, Darin was receiving chemotherapy treatments, which lasted throughout the summer.

He returned to seminary school that fall and continued with chemotherapy and total body radiation. But the cancer was persistent, and with each treatment, it came back. As a “last resort,” Darin had a stem cell transplant in March 2004.

“It didn’t work at all,” Len said. “Everything they did, his cancer came back worse. It’s like it got angry.”

But the Didiers never gave up hope.

“I was always thinking a miracle would happen,” Bonnie said. “Miracles happen every day.”

Accepting his illness with the knowledge that he had just as important a job to do in heaven as on Earth, Darin continued his education at the seminary, not letting on how sick he really was. Suspecting that he may not live long enough to become a priest, in May 2004 he was ordained a deacon.

Despite the persistent cancer and some intense holistic treatments, Darin made it through his last year of seminary. On June 4, 2005, his dream came true. He was ordained a priest and was assigned to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fargo, North Dakota.

Three months later, Father Darin Didier passed away – three weeks shy of his 33rd birthday at 3:33 p.m.

“Three is a magical number – the Trinity,” Len said of what he surmised was a sign from God of what was to come.

Darin was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery. The following summer, when the Didiers visited their son’s grave, they found trinkets left there – medals, coins, rosaries, toys and other items.

“There were things there all the time,” Bonnie said.

During one visit in the summer of 2006, Bonnie and Len found a sonogram taped to the grave. They discovered it had been left by a couple whose unborn child had severe spina bifida and a hole in her back.

This couple had heard rumors that people were visiting Darin’s grave to ask him to intercede on their behalf for healing.

They figured an intercession to God couldn’t hurt.

A few months later, their baby girl was born with complications far less severe than had been diagnosed. The baby went home just a week after her birth and doctors were amazed at how much she was already able to do.

As time went on, the Didiers heard more of these stories in which prayers were answered after a visit to their son’s grave.

One woman afflicted with sudden onset palsy visited the grave and while she was there praying, had a severe attack. After it was over she said, “I’m healed.” The next week, her doctor found no sign of the disease.

A friend of Darin’s had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. At every medical appointment following a prayer session at his grave, his results kept improving. He is now cancer-free.

One man with prostate cancer prayed at Darin’s grave prior to an operation, which turned out well. He continues to visit the grave before each check-up, and has improved at each one.

The parents of a 2-year-old boy had struggled for months to find out what was wrong with their son. They prayed at Darin’s grave. A short time later, a stranger approached them at a restaurant, and just from looking at the toddler, knew exactly what he had, as she had a family member with the same extremely rare disease. Because the boy was doing much better than expected, he was sent to the International Institute of Health in Washington, D.C. Through him, they found a way to diagnose the disease more quickly, and may have found a link to autism.

The good news spread quickly, and more people visited Darin’s grave – in hopes of healing, to pay their respects, or just to pray. And more visitors left tokens or wrote down their thoughts and left them at the grave.

To accommodate these trinkets and writings, the Didiers installed a pillar with a removable cover next to Darin’s grave. In the pillar, they left a “guestbook” that people can sign or write down their prayer requests.

“Hundreds of people have visited the grave,” Bonnie said, pointing out the entries in the notebook.

“It’s humbling, very humbling,” Len said. “People have no problem believing that in his [Darin’s] goodness, the Lord would listen to them.”

Despite the countless “unexplainable” accounts they continue to hear, the Didiers know that it isn’t Darin who is working these miracles.

“As Christians, we are told if we have faith, we will, in His name, work miracles greater than the impossible,” Len concluded. “Darin surrendered totally to the Lord. Surrender means doing the best you can and leaving the results to a higher power. He allowed the Lord to use him as He saw fit.”

“He is just doing God’s will,” Bonnie agreed. “Darin is not doing the miracles. He is just a link.

“He is the intercessor.” Echo Press, Alexandria

Travelers Visit Priest's Grave For Prayer, Healing

Mt. St. Mary's Seminary Remembers Fr. Darin Didier 'S05

In Memoriam-Fr Darin Didier Sept 27, 1972-September 6 2005

Travelers Visit Priest's Grave For Prayer, Healing

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Darin Didier decided to become a priest while he was learning to be a physical therapist. He was a priest for only three months before he died. Now, rumor has it that miracles are performed for those who pray at his gravesite.

For the past few years people from across the country have made the trip to a small western Minnesota cemetery. Most have never met the man they are there to talk to.

Darin Didier was priest for just three months. He died three weeks before his 33rd birthday.

His parents, Len and Bonnie Didier, said growing up their son was a little shy. He was every bit the athlete in Alexandria and was a track and cross-country star through college. He went to the University of North Dakota to be a physical therapist.

Before he started his last year at UND, he changed his mind about being a physical therapist. He wanted to be a Catholic priest.

Darin started seminary and a few years later he was at home for a visit.

"He was just walking around here and I noticed a spot on the back of his neck. I just thought it looked a little different," Bonnie explained.

In 2003, Darin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He went through chemotherapy, radiation and a stem-cell transplant.

"Everything that they did for him his cancer rebelled and came back worse," said Len.

"He was very accepting. I think that made it easier because if I was down he would actually lift me up. I have to remember that," said Bonnie.

His parents had him buried in the back of St. Mary's Cemetery. It's a small area on the west side of Alexandria. They were not prepared for what happened next.

Darin's parents started to see cars pulled over and people mulling around the grave. They would leave little trinkets by his gravesite. People were coming to ask for Darin to intercede on their behalf for healing.

In three years, hundreds of people have stopped by, including a whole bus full of kids just a few weeks ago.

"We've had people from every coast. We've had people from Maryland. We've had people from California. We've had people from down South," Len explained.

Now, they have a little black book where people can write out their prayers. They also have a place for people to put small tokens they may want to leave behind like coins and rosaries.

"I think it's been by word of mouth that people have had different experiences and they want to share it with others," said Bonnie.

The first thing Darin's father noticed on the grave was a picture of a sonogram taped to the side of it.

That picture belonged to John and Maggie Mauch.

They were expecting their third child and they found out quickly that something was wrong. Doctors told them their little girl had a hole in her back and would be born with spina bifida. They said there was still time to end the pregnancy.

John's parents had heard about the grave a few hours away.

"We just kind of looked at each other and went, 'He says we should go,'" said Maggie.

In the summer of 2006 the entire Mauch family made the trip.

"I asked for peace to be with us and the complications she had to be just less than what they thought it was going to be," Maggie recalled.

Their daughter, Macy, went home from the hospital just a week after she was born. Her doctors were amazed at all she can do considering how high on her back her injury is.

The Mauch's don't think too much about that day at the grave. But they do think about how much of a miracle little Macy is.

"The reason why we did it is, 'What's it going to hurt?'" said Maggie.

"I feel very humble that our son is still touching a lot of people's lives," Bonnie said.

Touching more lives in his death than his parents believe he ever possibly could in his life.

"I guess what I learned from my son if I were to sum it up, is life is a matter of surrender. Surrender doesn't mean to give up, it means to do the best you can and leave the results to a higher power," Len said.

Every year there is a memorial Mass held in Father Darin's honor. This year, it's on Labor Day, Sept. 7 at The Church of St. Mary in Alexandria. WCCO-TV HatTip to Abbey Roads

Mt. St. Mary's Seminary Remembers Fr. Darin Didier 'S05

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When God chooses a man to be priest, he also marks out an allotted time of earthly ministry. For Fr. Darin Didier, ’S05, this span was less than 100 days. Ordained on June 22, 2005, Fr. Didier passed away in Fargo, North Dakota, on September 6, after a long struggle with cancer, at the age of 32.

“His passing came as a shock because the end really happened so quickly. For his cancer to progress so rapidly was a surprise,” said Fr. Terry Dodge, a classmate and fellow Fargo ordinand. “What was inspiring was that even though he was sick he still threw himself fully into his work. The Saturday before his death he was celebrating Mass in his parish and he had to stop midway through his homily and go sit down because he was so weak. That’s how much he wanted to give himself to do the Lord’s work.”

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Fr. Didier studied at the University of North Dakota and received a master’s degree in physical therapy in 1997. He was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, and came to Mount St. Mary’s in 2000. His studies were interrupted by the onset of non-Hodgkins lymphoma cancer, which forced him to miss the spring 2004 semester. With strong faith and perseverance, Fr. Didier underwent treatment, fulfilled the necessary academic requirements and ultimately was called to Holy Orders.

At the Mount, he was president of the Legion of Mary and served as a chaplain for the university track and field team.

“He was a great example of priestly humility,” said Christopher Vaccaro, third theology, Diocese of Arlington. “He was inspiring to me in his zeal for spreading the Gospel.” Deacon Jamie Workman, fourth theology, Diocese of Arlington, reaffirmed this: “He had no reservation about speaking to complete strangers anywhere about Christ and Mary.”

The seminary community celebrated a Memorial Mass for Fr. Didier in Immaculate Conception Chapel on September 12.

Fr. Peter Ryan S.J., seminary professor of moral theology, was one of the Mount’s representatives to attend the Requiem Mass in Fargo. “It was the most beautiful funeral I had ever been to,” he recounted. “Fr. Didier’s parents have a really strong faith. His father walked out of the church giving the victory sign.”

Indeed. Requiescat in pace.
Mount Saint Mary's Seminary News, Fall, 2005

In Memoriam-Fr Darin Didier Sept 27, 1972-September 6 2005-

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Father John J. Lombardi

"The Glory of God is man fully alive."-St Ireneaus

In Memoriam-Fr Darin Didier Sept 27, 1972-September 6 2005-

"He was a wonderful, wonderful man. He lived his priesthood only three months on Earth-but he's now living it in Heaven for eternity." Thus said Fr Michael Roache (Mt St Mary's Seminary history professor). He always wanted to be a priest. From grade school on thru, that was his calling, Fr Roache added.

His Dad just said :"He taught me to surrender--by his sickness. It doesn't mean giving up, it means surrendering. It makes life easier."

Another pilgrim of Mary's Mountain said upon hearing of Father's death: "He got to be a priest. That's all he really wanted. Now we got a really good priest and friend in Heaven." Amen! Fr Ryan, my traveling companion to Fr. Didier's funeral said on the way there: "I'm praying for him and I'm also praying to him." Ditto the amen.

Holy man-we're all looking for one. Someone to enlighten us. To help us--to guide us. Someone true, noble, Christ-like.

You may study philosophy to find a holy person, or go to India and elsewhere--the quest seems endless. Holy men may be rare, but I've often found, they're disguised. I found a holy man here on Mary's Mountain.

This weekend when we remember 9/11, we also remember a really fine man, a priest of God and Soldier of Christ. Some memories and meditations…

Fr Darin Didier died this past week after a couple-year struggle with leukemia. Known variously around these mountains as "Darin," "Deacon Darin, "Fr Didier," "Fr Darin," and "Deacon Darin Didier of Dakota," which was a favorite of this priest-"QD-Quadruple D"-this was a man-of-God who studied here at Mt St Mary's Seminary for five years and was ordained in Fargo N. Dakota in May. He was beloved by many people of the Grotto, Mt St Mary's Seminary and University, St Mary's Church in Fairfield, Pa, where he served as deacon, and many other nearby places of Spirit. The Mystical Body's outpouring of love, prayer and affection at his passing more fully into Eternal Life is like a lot of life: bittersweet. Bitter because we all miss a dear friend, a holy priest, a beautiful, exemplary example of Christly discipleship; and because we think of Father's loving and ever-faithful parents, Len and Bonnie, and sister Darcy, and their loss: what more difficult thing in life is there for a parent to bury their child? But also the experience may be somewhat sweet-because we think of, and thank the Gift Giver-God Who gave Fr Darin to us; we think of a life well lived; of a priesthood persevered in, and the Light of Jesus and love of Mary which shone thru Fr Darin.

The last time I talked to him on earth (three weeks ago on the phone) he said had to cancel his celebrating of a wedding Mass, that he struggled thru a Sunday Mass (almost fainting), and more often was praying in a reclining chair before the Blessed Sacrament. His voice sounded faint, without his usual steam and vigor, but his words, the content of his soul were, well, Darin-like-filled with love of God and conformability of being a priest: prayer, Mass, sacrifice, being a vessel. C.S. Lewis wrote: -God whispers through pleasurable experiences. He speaks through the conscience of man and shouts thru pain. Suffering is God's trumpet….God was "instant messaging" to us thru Fr Darin-and others-do you hear Him?

After Deacon Darin became Father Darin I was searching for a new "nick-name" to replace the "QD" I had become accustomed to; and, after our heartfelt conversation, it manifested: Daring Darrin Didier of Dakota. He was that--daring. And so should we be with our faith and Crosses. He dared to run the good race-physically and metaphysically. Deacon-Fr Darin once ran a marathon (26 miles plus) and when he trained, he did just that. He entered a crowd of some 4,000and took 80th place. He was determined and daring.

He was focused: some medical professionals thought he couldn't make it this far, or at least to last Spring, to priestly ordination. I recall sitting in my car at the Grotto just after having breakfast with him, and talking about his illness, his pursuit of healing thru some natural medicines, about his hopes and his Path. He never looked so good: radiant and strong! With the onset of his sickness, as some perhaps would, he could have left the seminary, and spent his last year and days traveling, "living a high life" of pleasures and self-fulfillment--giving up on God and His Pursuit. He could have become depressed. But, no, he chose to stay on the Path to the Priesthood, to sacrifice, to become more One with Christ thru the Gift of Priestly Orders. If he would have chosen more chemotherapy this would have put him out of the seminary. Instead he chose to allow God's mysterious and sovereign Will to carve his path for him-like the Virgin Mary whom he preciously loved, he made his own life his "Fiat"-"be it done" (Lk. 1:38)-a surrender. He stayed put, studied, prayed, fulfilled his academic, pastoral and seminary requirements-and he did make it to the priesthood. All boys and young men considering priesthood should emulate him-one way or another. One soul said it so well, so simply: "He's an example."

"Real Men Love Jesus": I just saw that bumper sticker on a pickup truck. Fr Darin was a man of God-tough and tender at the same time, just like St Joseph, like every man should be. Fr Darin was an athletic runner-lean and thin and strong in earlier days: he ran the good race. He was an excellent basketball player too: I played with him many times, and not only could he leap and run well, but also shoot and score. He was a human and, as St Irenaeus said-he became a Glory of God.

Real Men Love Mary and Prayer: Fr Didier was, above all, a man of spirituality and frequent conversation with God and the Virgin. I often saw him carrying a Rosary and walking briskly around Mary's Grotto-praying! He would run and pray, and sit in the chapel before the Blessed Sacrament. He made his life a prayer, an offering and continual communion with God and Mary…How can you pray more like this man?

Spiritual Beauty: One person said about his Mass of Thanksgiving at the Grotto: "He looked beautiful." That's a simple and elegant description of a beautiful man-he emitted a spiritual radiance. When he came for that Mass he arrived and just about immediately began giving blessings-for about an hour before the Mass: he was rugged, determined. Then he heard confessions after Mass!…He was already living his priestly life in service for God's people: do you-even with your sufferings, like the Lord and Fr Darin?

Fr Peter Ryan, my traveling buddy to Dakota described how vigilant and tireless Deacon Darin was in his seminary studies-no one else has been like him, Fr, Peter said. Obviously, Deacon/Father Darin wanted to know his Faith to love and spread it more!...Do you?

Victim Soul: This is one spiritual description I think of regarding Fr Darin. He was young (barely thirty-three, the Lord's age when He died), kinda' like a lamb, without blemish-did he ever sin? I sometimes thought-he was idealistic, innocent and un-intoxicated with much of life like others: and God allowed him suffering and an "early death" Why? I believe God allowed him to take on other's sufferings-into and upon his earthly, athletic and innocent-like body and soul-to heroically absorb and become a co-vicar of Christ in atoning the world. The saints were like and that and so was this saintly man. So: offer up and help Jesus!

At the Quinn's house in Thurmont (Steve Quinn and Fr Darin were "running buddies") we enjoyed dinners, energetic kids, prayer together, and even a beer! Ditto for times at the Shubring's. There we watched the Green Bay Packers go to defeat in a playoff game last Fall. I was a little upset (I'm a Lombardi-get it?!). But Deacon Darin took it in stride-with detachment. Other things were more important. Afterwards he invited me to the Seminary chapel to pray a Rosary with some other seminarians. Stay focused-God first!

"NaturalPreaching": We all loved to hear him preach. He frequently came to the Grotto weekday Masses. He loved explaining the Faith, and he never used a text! He knew what he was talking about. His faith was synonymous with his life and his life was identical to his Faith. He was a transparent Image of Christ-by his preaching and sanctifying…We need do the same-and, like St Francis of Assisi says: 'Use words when necessary."

Be Brave: "He was not afraid to preach the Gospel." That's what one man said of him. Whether it was about the unique-singularity of Christ's Bride, the Holy Catholic Church, or about moral, family or spiritual issues many find difficult to accept in these relativistic times, Deacon/Fr Darin would preach them-with compassion:. He was on a mission-are you?

Words to Live by: I may never forget our luxurious lunch in our shed. A year ago Deacon Darin and I were eating a Grotto meal off a card table-some soup and sandwiches amidst oil cans and work tools. I got up the bravery to ask him about his disease and prognosis and he was equally brave in responding--and realistically idealistic. He then said: "I pray that God allow me to make it to priesthood, if it be His Will, but if not, then to help people in Heaven. Whatever His Will is, it's a win-win situation." …Gain that same attitude and courage!

The Cross: Upon hearing of Father Darin's death a pilgrim reflected-- "I was scared at first by him. Most people who get seriously sick become resigned to it. But Darin desired to carry his cross"…Do you? Let us thank God for such a holy example and, ourselves, become the same!

The Funeral: There were a hundred and fifty people at the Wake service Friday night and various people reminisced about this holy man: one said he was an excellent student, another an beautiful friend and another a sincere priest-how holistically-holy can you get? Perhaps that's why "QD" was so loved, respected-he became a priest for all people Fr. Ryan said he was without guile-and wasn't satisfied with a "b-grade" on a test-so he said: "What can we do to fix this?" (!) While I was in the Cathedral chapel praying, just before Mass, someone came in. I didn't look (this time). After finishing my prayers I then looked over: it was Bishop Samuel Aquila (fellow Italian), kneeling before Jesus in the Bl. Sacrament, his head buried in his wrenching hands, eyes closed, in a kinda' like "Agony in the Garden" scene as he was preparing for Fr Darin's funeral Mass. As I left and made noise he never winced or looked over: he kept praying. He lost a priest, a brother-and was mourning--or was it, he gained in intercessor in Heaven and was communing mystically?

The next day 750 people gathered at the beautiful Mass on Sat. Morning. There were young men in cassocks and lace-surplices; lots of candles, incense and bells; a choir loft with beautiful ethereal music wafting thru the Light-filled Cathedra; rivers of tears--even from priests and grown men-people of all ages, professions and backgrounds met at Jesus' Altar for Fr Darin. Just before the Mass Fr Darin's beautiful father, Len, said: When Darin became a priest he became part of your family (a priest's), and we did too. So, don't forget we're all part of one family, come back and visit us." He then gave me a big bear hug-after all he is a Minnesotan-a Viking-Catholic! Fr Darin's friend, Fr Peter, preached a most stunning homily-the funeral Mass was the most beautiful one I've ever been to. Fr Peter said the cross on Fr Darin's coffin was an image-crucifix of Christ. He said Fr Darin, thru all his joys and sorrows, himself became an image, an icon-window of Christ. Jesus visited us thru Fr Didier. I hope you saw Him pass by…thru this beautiful holy man, this Son of Mary's Mountain. Fr Peter choked up while describing Fr. Darin's actual death: it was 3.33 pm (The Divine Mercy Hour), it was the third month of Fr Darin's priesthood, and he was basically the same age as when Jesus died. In a Church crammed with hundreds of humans, silence and awe reigned.

At the end the traditional funeral hymn "In Paradisum" was sung in Latin-English, and the song for priests' funerals was also sung, "Salve Regina" (Hail Holy Queen)-as Fr Darrin's earthly body was carried form the church to the hearse. In Dakota it was a sunny and sad day at the same time.

Upon leaving the funeral and rushing to catch our flight back East, I met Fr. Mouwen, a classmate of Fr. Darin. This bright young soul and padre emitted a joy amidst the sadness, and said that Fr Darin "visited" him a dream: Fr. Mouwen said "Darin" appeared as in Heaven, and there was total joy on the Eve of the Blessed Virgin's Birthday, and, further, that "Darin' was on a chariot, riding around in ecstasy, saying something like: This is fun! However reticent I am to believe individual's spiritual experiences, this one seemed believable! A moment later I met permanent Deacon. I was rushing but he wasn't. He said, with our hands gentlemanly clasped: "When I bowed to kiss Fr Darin's coffin tos ay goodbye, I smelled an odor. It was the odor of sanctity…This is part of God's Plan…I've seen a lot of this over my 25 yrs as a deacon, but this was different." He hugged me and I teared up-again.

In Response:

Use your sickness-I never heard Fr Darin complain. Rather: he offered up all sorrows-accepting his illness for God's glory, for other souls, and his own path of Salvation. Will you do the same? Become Holy-right where you are God is calling you to sanctify your life, work, home and environment in a way similar to, and different, than Fr Darin: don't fail! Pray for and support priests: Fr. Peter said in the funeral homily that Fr Darin inspired priests, esp. amidst the loss of the dignity of, and esteem for the priesthood in these tough times, and Fr Darin's witness was for priests to be proud and become holy …Focus-on your vocation- like Fr Darin concentrated on his-even despite--no--amidst, obstacles, cling to the calling God has for you…Remember, as Fr Peter said, perhaps the best way to remember and love Fr Darin: become holy yourself, "training for Heaven" and become an icon-window of Jesus so all can see Him thru you, just as we saw Jesus the High Priest thru Fr Darin! From the Desk of Father Jack