Spiritual epiphany

The Catholic Commentator

 When he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1998, Jack Kellerman wrestled with the natural pull to focus on his condition in terms of it “stripping away” what he can do.

But through a journey of faith, God has given Kellerman the gift of showing him that the Lord is with him and giving Kellerman abilities to do more than he could have ever imagined.

A native of Morganza, Kellerman, 54, moved to Baton Rouge after graduating from LSU with a degree in landscape architecture and land planning. While at LSU, Kellerman dated his wife, Suzanne, a New Roads native whom he already knew. The Kellermans married at St. Mary of False River Church in New Roads.
 
With an expanding family, the Kellerman’s welcomed a son in 1998, the third of five children. About a week later, Jack got out of bed and was so dizzy he fell. He went to the emergency room and the doctors thought he had vertigo.

Two weeks later Kellerman, who was 30 years old at the time, went to see a neurologist and after an MRI and other medical tests was told he had MS.

Over time, Kellerman’s symptoms have progressed. He went from walking with a cane to using a walker, then to a wheelchair and is now bed-ridden and paralyzed, except for his right hand, which is becoming an increasing challenge.

“When I was first diagnosed I thought how am I going to be able to take care of my family and am I going to die at a young age; what’s going to happen in the future?” said Kellerman.

Once bed-ridden, Kellerman occupied his time with television and social media.

“After doing that for three years I had a spiritual epiphany,” said Kellerman. “I said, ‘Enough is enough. My body is failing me, but my mind is not.’”

In October 2021, he started praying more and when Communion was brought to him at home, it had much more significance “than it ever had” in his life.

He also began to accept the limitations of his disease.

“It took stripping everything from me to get to a place where I now put my ultimate trust in God,” said Kellerman. “The suffering and struggles that Suzanne and I have been through have brought us closer together and brought me much deeper in my faith.”

The couple prays the rosary together and use the daily rosary mediation app with Dr. Mike Scherschligt.

Kellerman said despite the trials and difficulties, God has made his presence known in his life. As Kellerman was struggling with his worries about his family and his future shortly after his diagnosis, he had a dream.

“I can remember it like it was yesterday,” said Kellerman. “I was in a room and there was no furniture and everything was white. And I heard a voice saying, ‘I will always be with you and I will never leave you.’ And I thought to myself in the dream, is this God? And the voice said ‘Yes, it’s me.’”

About three months went by and Kellerman began to doubt himself.

But God sent Kellerman a personal confirmation following a youth confirmation at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Baton Rouge, their home parish.

The Kellermans, who actively served OLOM, assisted Kathy Screen, then religious education director, with the confirmation program. 
The Kellermans were talking with Screen following the confirmation when Archbishop Emeritus Alfred C. Hughes, then bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, walked up. Archbishop Hughes knew Kellerman, who had received the Mercy Men’s Anchor Award in 2018, through the confirmation program.

“And the bishop said, ‘(then-pastor Father Mike Moroney) has told me about your diagnosis and I have a message from God. And God wants you to know that he will always be with you and he will never leave you,’” Kellerman said.

Someone then came up and requested to have a picture taken with Archbishop Hughes and he walked away.

“We couldn’t even speak; we were all teared up. And the three of us were just looking at each other with awe,” said Kellerman.

He told then OLOM parochial vicar Father Vic Messina about his dream and the archbishop’s message, and Father Messina told him that “God knew that it would carry a lot of weight (in settling the doubt) with a comment from (Archbishop) Hughes.”

As God has blessed Kellerman spiritually he allowed him to use his gifts and talents to invent the Zip Quicker, which makes for an easier, neater process of putting foods and liquids into a plastic storage bag.

Kellerman had the idea for years, before his diagnosis but never acted upon it. The product quickly grew in demand and today he has an “overseas virtual assistant” and works full time managing his company from his bed.

Kellerman said he is grateful to be able to live to his fullest ability and has the love and support of his family.

“Jack is an amazing person who has carried his daily cross with so much strength and grace,” said Suzanne. “He has truly been a witness to God’s grace and goodness, not only for our family but for so many people who see joy through his love for life. Jack has touched so many people through his daily outlook on his faith and on God’s blessings in his life.”

Kellerman shares his story in order to show God’s faithfulness to urge people who are in difficult situations to offer what they can to God and he will “multiply it.”

“I hope that our story will help people in challenging situations to know they can still be productive and have a wonderful life. And hopefully people who are ‘just going through everyday life’ not having any particular health issues or difficult challenges to see how good their life is and to be thankful for that,’” Kellerman said.