Author Description

Tony Franko, a young black man from Detroit escapes from prison and hides out in a small town. He dresses up like a priest and tells Father McKinley, the local priest, that he was sent by the bishop to help out. McKinley is not entirely convinced that he is telling the truth but takes him in anyhow. Tony finds a home in this small town, and before long the town learns to accept him. Then fate stepped in. Tony is walking downtown one day and comes across an automobile accident. A young boy is hurt and lying in the street. Tony picks him up and runs across town to the doctor's office. As the doctor and nurse frantically work on the boy, Tony stays by his side. When the boy finally passes away and the medical staff walks away, Tony is heartbroken. It was if he was reliving the death of his brother. In a last desperate attempt at saving this boy, Tony for the first time in his life utters a prayer asking God to spare this young life. Almost immediately, the boy's heartbeat returns. This is a life-changing event in Tony's life. He now not only believes in God, he wants to follow in Jesus' footsteps by helping others. To this end, his first triumph is to reunite a mother and son who had been estranged for years. From there, he organizes and opens a soup kitchen to feed the poor. Ultimately, he helps a man by the name of Larry Joseph to create a place called Chapel Hill where children with cancer can spend a weekend with their families. This was the beginning of a new life for a young man who's destiny took him from the streets of Detroit to the service of many.