Priest who took ice bucket challenge with bishop dies of ALS


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PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Catholic priest who took the ice bucket challenge with Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik last year has died of the disease they were raising money to cure: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Christ the Light of the World Parish announced the death of the Rev. Dennis Colamarino on Saturday.

That was one of two Duquesne parishes the priest pastored when he and Zubik took the challenge August.

Zubik donated an undisclosed sum to the John Paul II Medical Research Institute, which uses only adult stem cells to research the disease. The Catholic church disagrees with using embryonic stem cells to try to find a cure.

Colamarino was diagnosed in 2013. A group at his church raised $26,000 for a walk to support ALS research in his name.

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