Fr. Pius Murray

My name is Pius Charles Murray, born in Worcester, MA but now from Somersworth, NH. I was originally named after my father (Charles W. Murray, Jr.) but added my confirmation name, Pius, legally as my first name at age 27 to differentiate my name from my father’s. There were two important influences in my life growing up. On the one hand, with three of my maternal grandmother’s brothers having entered the seminary (and two having been ordained priests), religion and a life of service to others played a central formative role in developing my values. On the other hand, my maternal grandfather was Dean (or the then-current term) of the Graduate School at Worcester State College in the 1960s. He firmly believed that education was the way to resolve social problems and overcome intolerance; he remembered the “No Irish need apply” signs on businesses’ windows. Those two strands, religion and education, have been the backbone of my life. I am a priest in the American Catholic Church in the United States, acting as God’s vessel dispensing His grace through prayer and the sacraments. Along the way, I have been blessed to obtain a substantial education which is used currently in my service on a number of local municipal boards in Somersworth, serving its residents. When, in August 2013, I was diagnosed with End State Renal Disease and began dialysis, I did not want simply to mope around. But it did take several years to see this as yet another God-given opportunity to serve God’s people. In the waiting room at the dialysis center what I go to is a poster from the Dialysis Patient Citizens organization. For a while, I simply looked at it without taking any action. As I became accustomed to dialysis, I wanted to demonstrate to myself and others that I could still contribute so I applied to become a Patient Ambassador. This experience was a refreshing reminder of my grandfather’s emphasis on education as a way to solve problems. Reflecting on my contributions to the various stakeholders in Somersworth by my service on various municipal boards and commissions, I decided that I would like offer my background to DPC and its 29,000 stakeholders. As a DPC board member and DPC Education board member, I will strive to utilize my talents advocating for better medical care for patients with kidney failure and developing new ways to educate the general public in issues relating to the care of kidney failure patients.