- Two days in the life of priest Father Fred Stadtmuller whose New Mexico parish is so large he can only spread goodness and light among his flock with the aid of a monoplane. The priestly pilot is seen dashing from one province to the next at the helm of his trusty Piper Cub administering guidance (his plane, the Flying Padre) to unruly children, sermonizing at funerals and flying a sickly child and its mother to a hospital.—Matt Pugh <pughganet@hotmail.com>
- For eight years, Father Fred Stadtmueller has been the priest at a primarily Hispanic parish in rural Harding County in northeastern New Mexico. Although he is based at the main parish church in Mosquero, the parish itself has eleven churches over a region of four thousand square miles. To be able to provide the necessary services to his parishioners effectively wherever they may be within the region, he purchased a single engine airplane six years ago, the Spirit of St. Joseph, which he himself flies, covering approximately twelve thousand miles a year in his work. Two days in his working life is presented, those two days which requires him to fly in and out of Mosquero several times. Beyond the regular and special occasion services he performs, he is often asked to deal with other one off issues, no issue too small, no parishioner who comes to him too young. Some of these issues are of an emergency nature, flying at a moment's notice which is not out of the question. He may find some time to indulge in personal pleasures and past-times, one of which includes taking care of the plane to ensure that it is always in good working condition for his work.—Huggo
- Two days in the life of Reverend Fred Stadtmueller, a Catholic missionary whose New Mexico parish covers 400 square miles.
For six years, he has been piloting his Piper Cub, called 'The Spirit of St. Joseph'. The reverend attends the funeral of a farmer, reconciles some children, breeds canaries, practices rifle shooting, then takes his airplane to fly a sick baby and its mother 40 miles away and transport them to an airport where an ambulance is waiting.
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