Father Andrew Greeley: please pray

ROSEMONT -- The Rev. Andrew Greeley, the best-selling novelist and newspaper columnist, fractured his skull in a fall Friday. He is in “critical” condition at a suburban hospital, his family and friends report.

How the outspoken priest was hurt is still being pieced together by his family, but hospital workers told them Greeley, 80, snagged his jacket in taxicab door at about 4 p.m. Friday and fell, hitting his head.

“Right now he’s critical but stable, very stable,” said his niece, Laura Durkin. “Doctors are hopeful and pleased with his progress from last night to today. They’re pleased with his current condition.”

Greeley, a Chicago-born Catholic priest, has written more than 50 novels, including best sellers that offer tales of international intrigue. His Sun-Times columns tackle the issues of the day, including his unique take on religion and politics.

He was lecturing Friday at a convention of the Religious Education Association, at a hotel near O’Hare Airport, Durkin said.

In his fall, Greeley fractured his skull and the left orbital bone near his eye, his friend and attorney Terry Goggin said.

He has bleeding on the brain, and doctors installed a monitor in his skull to gauge pressure on his brain, Goggin said. C-T scans are also being used to monitor his injuries.