Father Michael Bradley has learned that when you’re a priest, there are no days off. Even if you’re running a marathon.
“I’ve been asked to hear people’s confessions during a run,” said Fr. Mike. “The first time, I was at mile 12 or so. And a young man saw that I was a priest, and he asked if I was a Catholic priest.”
Fr. Mike responded affirmatively. And the man told him, “Father, I’m having some trouble with my run, and when you hear my confession, I think I'll run faster.”
The priest agreed, on one condition: “I’ll be happy to absolve your sins,” he said, “but let's make it quick, because we still have 14 miles to go.”
They pulled off to the side of the course for a few moments before continuing their separate ways.
When Fr. Mike, 70, lines up at the Chicago Marathon on October 8, it is his 50th run at 26.2 or longer and his first official race at the distance in several years. In 2020, during the pandemic, he ran loops totaling the marathon distance around his Chicago parish, St. Gertrude Catholic Church, in the Edgewater neighborhood of the city. Parishioners took turns cheering him on.
Now, he’ll be back with the masses. And he knows runners might ask for his help. Even in line for the porta potty, he’s had runners, upon spotting his singlet that reads “Father Mike,” ask him to hear their confession.
He retired in early 2022, but he keeps busy—saying Mass at St. Gertrude and at the city’s two major airports, O’Hare and Midway.
And he remains committed to Heart to Heart, a St. Gertrude organization that helps senior citizens of all faiths in Edgewater with rides to doctors appointments or the grocery store. They also have a closet of medical equipment—wheelchairs, walkers, crutches—to lend out to people who need it. Fr. Mike has since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books Chicago Marathon Runner Saves Kitten During Race.
Before Chicago, Fr. Mike took a piece of sturdy paper, trimmed it to fit the space on the inside of his arm between his wrist and his elbow, and wrote the names of the people he’d be praying for during his race. Then he wrapped it in a plastic bag to keep sweat from blurring the names and wore it with rubber bands to hold it in place.
In his prayers will be his friend Bishop Kevin Birmingham, an archdiocesan bishop, who died suddenly at age 51, the week before Chicago. “People are heartbroken,” he said. “I’m dedicating this run to him. With every step, I’ll be thinking of Kevin.”
He prays from the beginning of the race, not just when the miles get tough. “When I think of all the concerns and the issues that people are dealing with, it motivates me,” he said. “It’s a wonderful thing to be able to pray.”
Fr. Mike has a PR of 4:20 from several years ago, but he says he doesn’t worry about time anymore. “Just to finish is a good feeling,” he said. “If you can run, don’t give up on that, no matter how old you might be.”
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Races & Places, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
