Bishop Michael Curry, the head of the Episcopalian Church of America, is having surgery on Tuesday to remove his prostate gland.
Bishop Curry was set into the international spotlight almost two months ago when he captivated audiences around the world with his sermon on love at the recent royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, now known as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Reportedly, his sermon on love was the most tweeted part of the royal event, making Bishop Curry a celebrity on both sides on the Atlantic. Bishop Curry said he was surprised to speak at the event.
According to People magazine, Bishop Curry shared that he learned at his annual physical that he had prostate cancer. After tests, consultations and many conversations with his family, Bishop Curry announced that surgery will be his choice of treatment.
The surgery scheduled for Tuesday, July 31, to remove the prostate gland, will aid in his fight against cancer, but Bishop Curry does not seem to be worried. He says the prognosis looks “very good and quite positive.”
“I am happy to say that the prognosis looks very good and quite positive,” Bishop Curry said. “I have spoken with several others who have gone through this, and who have offered both encouragement and helpful advice.”
Rev. Michael Curry, bishop who delivered sermon at royal wedding, has prostate cancer https://t.co/42ikN8e3RT pic.twitter.com/lJhcpFug0b
— NBCBLK (@NBCBLK) July 29, 2018
In light of his recent diagnosis, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church remained full of hope for the future.
“I am very blessed with a wonderful family, a first-rate medical team, a great staff, dear colleagues and friends, a calling to which to give my life and above all a good, great and loving God in whose hands we always remain,” he said.
According to the American Cancer Society , other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men and is a serious disease. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung cancer. Around 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, this type of cancer typically develops in older men, with the average age of diagnosis at about 66-years-old.
Bishop Curry, the first African-American to occupy the role of presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, said he will be in the hospital for surgery and will remain there for at least one day to be monitored, then sent home to recuperate. The 65-year-old says he hopes to be back at his post, or pulpit, by September of this year.
