If you have followed my podcast over the years, you may have noticed that it has been quiet for quite some time. I owe you an explanation.

For several years now, I have been living with a neurological voice condition called spasmodic dysphonia. It is not a sore throat, not laryngitis, and not something that improves with rest, tea, or cough drops. It is a movement disorder that affects the nerves controlling the vocal cords. At times, the muscles tighten or spasm unpredictably, making it difficult to produce steady, reliable speech. Some days my voice cooperates. Other days it does not.

What makes this especially challenging is that my vocation — preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and podcasting — depends entirely on spoken communication. When stress increases, the condition often worsens. Anxiety can cause my vocal cords to tighten to the point that I struggle to take in a proper breath to begin speaking. In those moments, it can feel as though my voice simply will not respond to my intention.

Over the years, I have worked with specialists, voice therapists, and other professionals in an effort to preserve and strengthen my voice. I have tried many approaches. Some have helped temporarily; none have restored consistency. Spasmodic dysphonia currently has no medical cure. Available treatments are essentially temporary measures — more like a bandage than a solution — and some carry risks that must be weighed carefully. It has been humbling, frustrating, and at times deeply discouraging. When your vocation is so closely tied to your voice, the loss of reliability touches not only your work, but your identity and mission.

Because of that reality, I have increasingly turned to prayer. I ask, if you feel moved, to join me in seeking the intercession of my friend Eileen George for a miracle. I often tell Eileen, “I need a miracle, and you need miracles.”We hope one day to see her cause formally opened — the Church’s official process of investigating a person’s life and holiness as a possible step toward canonization. Ultimately, if this condition is to be fully healed, it will be through God’s direct intervention.

If you would like to pray for this intention, you may use the prayer below. We also have this prayer available in 13 languages at the following link: [Click Here]

Prayer for the intercession of Eileen George.

Most loving Father, in Your loving design, You raised up Eileen George to a deep and intimate union with Your Godhead, and revealed to her the mysteries of Your Kingdom. She inspired souls to thirst for holiness, and promised to obtain for us, when at last she reached her heavenly home, graces as flowers descending from on high. If it be Your Will, glorify your servant Eileen by granting my request for _________, which I ask through her intercession and in the Name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

With Ecclesiastical Approval
+ Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester

If you would like a printed copy in English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Tagalog, please write to:

Meet-the-Father Ministry
PO Box 348
Uxbridge, MA 01569

We will gladly send you as many copies as you would like.

I share this not to seek sympathy, but to invite you into hope. I remain committed to teaching the faith and grateful for the platform the podcast has provided. I am prayerfully discerning how best to resume recording in a way that respects the limits of my voice. It may mean shorter episodes, slower pacing, or a different format. It may mean accepting that some days are simply not possible.

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and especially your prayers. They matter more than you know.