In June, an ordination ceremony in Regina held a special meaning for a Regina priest.
Father Parker Love said his calling to the faith happened when he was 23-years-old and in university.
"It was this that and rock n’ roll of the kind of life style,” said Father Parker Love. “I was living where just anything and everything that came in front of me, if it felt good it was good you know. When I had that kind of conversion experience I had to stop going to the bars and stop talking to girls in the same capacity you know."
Father Parker attended the seminary in Edmonton and six years later, he is an ordained priest. He was ordained in June in Regina, alongside Father Chinhvu and Father Anthony Phung.
His faith never wavered, even after experiencing challenges with mobility.
During Father Parker's time in the seminary, he was involved in a mountain bike accident and lost the use of his legs in the summer of 2013. He said he felt his faith challenged in that moment.
"If I was going to keep going it would have to be on God's strength because he's the one who’s going to carry me through kind of thing or push me through in a wheel chair who knows," said Father Parker.
"It helped that they played a lot of floor hockey and board games and watched star trek movies,” he said. “Just anything and everything I was interested in because they were young men my age so it was just a good group of guys."
His next challenge was presented shortly after as most churches have been retro-fitted for parishioners with accessibility challenges, but not for priests as there are usually steps to the alter.
Father Parker will be moving to Wilcox in early August and the church's sanctuary is being changed to accommodate his needs.
