It must have been quite a surprise for Wright resident Maurice Bleumer. After traveling some 350 miles from southwest Kansas, he opened up a local newspaper and found a large cover photo of one of our very own priests.

There he was, on the cover of Section B of the Feb. 13 Omaha World-Herald, a large photo of Father Bernard Felix, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Larned. In front of him, in a wheelchair, sat Agnes Orcutt, 100 years old Feb. 12, grasping Father Felix’s hands, both she and Father Felix wearing wide grins.

Father Felix wasn’t visiting because it was also his 43rd birthday, nor was he taking a moment from other excursions to visit a senior home.

He was visiting Agnes because, if not for her and her deceased husband, John, he might not be a priest at all.

More than 20 years ago, Agnes and John expressed an interest to their parish priest, Father Raphael Librea, about wanting to do some charitable work. Father Librea happened to be spiritual director to a young seminarian in his home country of the Philippines named Bernard Felix. And it so happened that this young seminarian, having come from a poor family, was nearly convinced he’d have to leave the seminary due to lack of funds.

"Every time I went home," Father Felix said in an article in the World-Herald, "I went to friends and neighbors and raised a little money for my studies, but it wasn’t enough."

Beginning in 1986, the Orcutts began sponsoring the future Father Felix, and did so for eight years. The three mailed back and fourth and became not just a sponsor and a seminarian, but good friends.

The friendship lasted far beyond the moment Bernard Felix became Father Felix in 1992. It was strong when John Orcutt died about 14 years ago, and when Agnes moved to an assisted living center (after her home of 60 years was burglarized a fourth time).

And it has lasted to this day, drawing Father Felix to travel some 350 miles to help his dear friend celebrate her 100th birthday.

Father Felix wished to thank Larned parishioners Frank and Vi Prosser who drove him to Omaha for the birthday celebration.