‘Life’s not fair — embrace your cross’

John Foppe was born without arms, but his parents raised him the same as his siblings. Using his feet just as most people use their hands, Foppe, 50, has traveled the world as a motivational speaker. His autobiography, What’s Your Excuse? Making the Most of What You Have, has been translated into six languages.

Foppe is the executive director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Louis and a member of Legatus’ St. Louis Chapter. He will be a featured speaker at the Legatus 2021 Summit East, and recently spoke with Legatus magazine.

What will you speak about at the Legatus Summit?

I’ll share my story, my faith journey, and how Christ is asking us to take up his mission through the cross. I’ll talk a little bit about how powerlessness, the trials, and the tribulations in our life are opportunities to enter into a more intimate relationship with Christ. There is so much in our world today about following our passions and doing what we love. I come at it from a different way. I don’t think God is asking us necessarily to follow our passions. I think he’s asking us to take up his mission.

Do you believe your upbringing set you up for future success?

My parents were courageous people. They raised me not to be a victim. Yes, life is tough, life is not fair, life is hard, life is dangerous. In my secular talks, I use the word “condition” so I can relate to the audience. Everybody has a condition. It could be being a single parent. It could be tons of things, being born on the wrong side of the tracks. For the Summit, I’m going to go deeper and reframe that condition as a cross. We are called to embrace it, to carry it. We could also look at it as, “Is this a part of Christ’s cross?” At the end of the day, the spiritual life is about union with Christ. My cross is his cross, his cross is my cross.

How did you come to have a relationship with the Missionaries of Charity?

In high school, I went on a missionary trip to Haiti, and visited one of their homes in Port-au-Prince. I had an encounter there with a little boy who needed help, and I wrote about it in my book. Fifteen or 20 years later, the Sisters had read my book and asked me to do a retreat for them in Newark, New Jersey.

At the end of the retreat, the Sisters said, “We don’t have anything we can give you, but what can we pray for?” My wife, Christine, and I told them about our struggles to have a child. They lit up and said how Mother Teresa had often prayed with infertile couples. She would send them away and say, “One year from today, you will bring me back a baby.” So they said they were going to pray for us. Christine and I went back to St. Louis. We got pregnant a month and a half later with our daughter, Faith Teresa.

How has being a member of Legatus impacted your life?

The monthly speakers present educational opportunities to deepen and enrich the faith. It’s just so inspiring to be around vibrant people of deep orthodox faith who are struggling with the same problems and pressures as everybody else. I think the Church has a lot of challenges right now, and organizations like Legatus, at the end of the day, are what’s going to help save it.