Welcome to JFK in The Enduring Secret.

I'm your host, Jeff Crudell. Hello everyone and welcome back to the podcast.

Today, we pivot to that period right after the president expired,

that solemn but chaotic collection of events that occurred at Parkland Hospital right after silence began in

trauma room one. So, without further ado, let's listen to episode 56. Pray. Pray for him.

Those were the words of Cardinal Cushing, the priest who was closest to President

Kennedy. Those were the words

that the aging Cardinal would send out from Boston to each of the parishes that made up the

archdiocese. Even though he was a cardinal, he was still a mere mortal. And so he had not yet

learned what had already happened. The president was dead.

It would soon be known to all. From the very moment that the president's car arrived in Parkland

all of the players that were already involved, including the Secret Service agents and others who had seen what had

occurred at that moment in Dealey Plaza, well, they knew that the end had already come, or,

if not yet, that it was near. In Boston, Cardinal Cushing would enter his private chapel, accompanied by a chosen few,

and beg God to save the President's life.

But God already had bigger things in store for John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

It was true that Father Oscar Huber was to give the last rights and perhaps be the more recognizable of the priests in this passion play,

but there were two priests that day that went to Parkland.

And the first priest to receive a communication was Father James N. Thompson.

He'd been sitting in the recreation room at Holy Trinity's rectory

and heard the UPI bulletins about the president's shooting. It was alarming to say the least.

By 1245, Secret Service Agent Clint Hill and Secret Service Agent Reddy knew that there was a need to call a

...