CLARKSTON — There is a Scripture story in the Acts of the Apostles where the apostle Philip is called to evangelize an Ethiopian man by running alongside his chariot (Acts 8:29-31).
Considering the stamina it must have taken to have a theological conversation while running alongside that chariot, St. Philip might well understand the motivation of another fellow man of the cloth, Fr. Daniel Pajerski, LC.
Fr. Pajerski is the formation director at Everest Collegiate High School and Academy in Clarkston. He recently competed in the Chicago Marathon, finishing 1,532 out of the 37,455 runners who finished the race.
“Mary was a big part of the success,” he said.
Fr. Pajerski’s time of 3 hours, 9 minutes and 29 seconds qualified him for eligibility in the April 2013 Boston Marathon. His goal is to run in that prestigious event, but space might be limited. If he can’t, he plans to run in his hometown Pittsburgh Marathon instead. In either case, he’ll be soliciting pledges to raise money for Legionaries of Christ seminarians.
“My hope is that I’ll get some sponsors and possibly help raise money for vocations,” he said.
Fr. Pajerski has been running for about 15 years, since 1997, his third year with the Legion of Christ.
He completed the bulk of his training for the Chicago marathon during the summer of 2012.
“As Legionaries, we are encouraged to keep in shape,” he said. “Once you’re in pretty good shape, it’s not hard to maintain a certain level of fitness without too much investment of time.”
He tells aspiring runners that the recipe for success is discipline plus perseverance. One has to have a desire to be physically fit and have the discipline to keep to a schedule, he said.
“It has to start with the desire to run. Some might have the physical ability, but not the desire. One element, though, that really motivates me is to offer up my runs for the special intentions that people ask me to pray for. Grace builds upon and perfects nature, so adding the spiritual element is a key factor.”
Fr. Pajerski said his effort to stay in shape has actually helped him in his priestly ministry. “I’ve found that keeping in shape helps with my mental clarity and gives me more energy to pray and contribute to our mission. When I’m feeling out of shape, it’s easier to fall into being sluggish.”
He identifies with the inspiration for the name on his running shoes, made by Asics. The name comes from the first letters of the words in the Latin phrase. “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano,” roughly translated as “healthy soul in a healthy body.”
“That’s an apt way to summarize it,” he said.
To pledge money for Fr. Pajerski’s next marathon, email him at [email protected].
