Praying for Eleventh Hour Miracle

As the deadline has passed for the Iraq hostages, who include Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden, their family and friends hold tight to their faith.

The story has gripped the Nation, Ontario, and especially Loney’s hometown of Sault Ste. Marie.

Residents in the steel town have been glued to their televisions watching for updates, attending masses and praying for an eleventh hour miracle that will see the hostages safely released.

Speaking with my friend, David Ontonovich, on a completely unrelated matter, we exchanged the regular general niceties and that is when David illustrated how big the world can be in one moment and how very small it can be in the next.

“It’s been wild these past few weeks, an understatement at that, I’ve been so consumed with what’s happening in Iraq with the hostages, James Loney is a friend of mine,” states Ontonovich.

“I’ve been praying for resolution, have written letters, protested, signed petitions and attended vigils.”

Loney and Ontonovich met when they were adolescents in Sault Ste. Marie and the friendship has continued into adulthood and several cities later.

“We attended St. Mary’s College together, attended all Diocesan Youth Rally’s and were former Encounterites (Youth Encounter Christ) and after all these years we live in the same neighbourhood in Toronto.”

Ontonovich says his friend, a devout Roman Catholic that found the priesthood to be somewhat restricting, was destined to do humanitarian work.

“He’s a good guy, the kind of person if you asked for his coat, boots or both, he’d give you them knowing there was a need.”

“And he’s like this in his adult life…completely devoted to mission and service.”

Colleague David Helwig of SooToday.ca will be updating the story as it unfolds.