Mystery priest at crash scene comes forward

Father Dowling prayed for a young woman after an accident trapped her inside her car

Father Patrick Dowling is a priest for the Jefferson City diocese since 1982.

The priest that prayed with Missouri crash victim Katie Lentz while emergency crews tried to remove her from her wrecked vehicle has been identified. Father Patrick Dowling was nicknamed a "mystery priest" after he prayed with the young woman and disappeared.

“He came up and approached the patient, and offered a prayer,” Raymond Reed, the New London fire chief explained to KHQA about the Aug. 4 incident.

Once the victim, Katie Lentz, was removed from her car and put into an Air Evac helicopter, the emergency responders wanted to thank the priest, but he had disappeared.

Father Dowling told CNA that he was on his way to celebrate Mass when he stopped to pray for Lentz.

“When the young lady asked that I pray her leg stop hurting, I did so. She asked me to pray aloud and I did briefly … the rescue workers needed space, and would not have appreciated distraction. I stepped to one side and said my rosary silently until the lady was taken from the car.”