Dr. Frank Castillo ’81, ’90 M.A.
After two near-fatal accidents almost stopped Dr. Frank Castillo ’81, ’90 M.A. in his tracks, he transferred to Notre Dame, placed his future in God’s hands, and kept moving ahead both in faith and in life. Today, against all odds, he’s a physician:
“My Sacred Story is about perseverance and hope over a lifetime in prayer. I do not claim to fully understand the power of prayer in its many forms, but I do know that prayer gets results, even if in ways we do not expect.”
In this holy season of Advent, we begin to ponder the mystery of God’s incarnation. In the fullness of time, Christ entered our humanity, choosing to dwell among us and to bear every joy and sorrow of the human experience. Even now, Christ desires to be near us, to share in every step with love that redeems and restores. How does this fact renew our hope, even in the midst of the trials of our lives?
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Thank you Dr.Castillo for inspiring me to face ℹ illness this Advent with gratitude, courage and humility!
My little brother has overcome two near fatal accidents as a young man to become the man that made our family so very proud of his accomplishments as a Doctor and a person.
Our family could not be prouder.
Thank you Dr. Castillo for this beautiful message about the power of prayer. It is exactly what I needed to hear right now. May God continue to bless you.
Dr. Frank, as a longstanding chicago to notre dame & back kind of guy, i can relate to your beautiful and inspiring story. I wish you well, and pray for you & all of us on this often unexpected journey. Go Irish 🙏🔥☘️
Your story here is so fitting. As a young student at ND, you were kind, gentle, and notably religiously dedicated. I am grateful to know you obtained your desired medical degree. Peace.
Dr Castillo-
Good AM. Words cannot express my gratitude for your sharing your journey. May you enjoy peace and joy this Christmas with those who matter most. God Bless you!
In Him,
Mike
What an amazing story of faith and perseverance. Thank you for sharing .
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you Dr
It’s so hard to realize that God is always with us when we seem to constantly seem to be in a storm.
My mom prayed the rosary for me and my family everyday. Today I start
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story…so profound. I will add you to my prayers today.
At a young age you dealt with physical suffering and loss but the Holy Spirit guided you along. You followed the path where you were led by his Grace.
A life serving others in big ways as you have done, makes the entire Notre Dame family proud. Hopefully others have been inspired by you in the process, to do likewise.
Marilyn Woidat
This has to be one of your best Advent videos. Grace and wisdom!
Thanks Dr. Castillo for sharing your life story to the community. Resurgence from adverse situations through faith and resilient prayers carry us a long way. LISTENing to God’s Will everyday keeps us knowing the WAY.
Thank you Dr. Frank. Such a moving & powerful reminder of Prayer & Hope.
ND’72
Thank you, Dr. Castillo for sharing your very challenging life story showing the power of Faith and Prayers with perseverance and humility always overcome difficulties however insurmountable they maybe. So inspiring, indeed!
Antonio Penilla
Wow. Thank you and God bless you, Dr. Castillo. (Likewise all you good folk putting together these Sacred Stories for Advent!)
As a Rehabilitation and Pain physiscian I treat Brain Injury and Chronic Pain patients. I admire your dedication, perseverence, and trust in the Lord. You are an inspiration to many. Happy and holy Advent to all who view your message.
Dr., thank you for your thoughts in overcoming physical pain and even some spiritual as you faced adversity. Your faith carried you along with Our Lady and Notre Dame. God bless,
Mike
thank you for sharing. I echo what others have commented before-I needed to hear this right now. It brought me to tears
Incredible story of faith & perseverance. Very inspiring. God bless you for all you shared.
Much Aloha from Hawaii.
Dr. Castillo,
Your path of recovery and faith was amazing to me. I was touched by your message.
I too was a resident of Howard Hall. Your message was a heartfelt reminder that I too definitely received spiritual nourishment at the grotto.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring sacred story and your journey of service.
Amen
Rick Moss
Class of 1981
Frank: I learned more about you in this reflection than when you were with us at the then “new” ND Peace Institute! Your faith and your deep sense of hope reflect well the kind of virtues we desired for our students! Thanks for sharing and hopefully inspiring many others by your faith and dedicated life.
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story. The power of prayer is beyond words.
Peace
Frank:
You spoke of praying the rosary at the Grotto every night beginning in 1978. I also prayed with you and the rest of the regulars in the small group there each night led by Brother John Lavelle, a holy man. You obviously benefited from God’s grace, as did I. May he continue to bless you.
Thank you so much for sharing your inspirational Sacred Story with us. What a great and mighty God we serve – through life’s challenges (and oh what crosses they were for you to bear), your perseverance, hope, faith, and prayer got you through it all. How inspiring, and I’m so glad it was highlighted in this Sacred Story episode. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully blessed New Year! May God continue to bless you richly.
Thank you for your inspirational life. You treated me many years ago in South Bend, when Dr. Chamblee was away. You were kind and caring. You gave me tips for dealing with a life long battle I had with season bronchitis, tips I follow to this day, seldom struggling with my old nemesis. Thank you for touching the lives of so many people.