Beyond his immediate family, Johnny touched a much larger world. He consistently inspired friends and classmates. He said he just wanted to be normal, and so many people helped him to feel a part of normal life.

The congregation that packed St. Peter Claver Church for Philip Berrigan’s funeral Dec. 9 was slowly making its way onto ice-covered streets of West Baltimore when I spotted the president of the United States standing outside the 114-year-old brick building.