OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Former Creighton University President John Schlegel has been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The Omaha World-Herald reported Thursday the Jesuit priest who led Creighton during a period of growth between 2000 and 2011 shared news of his diagnosis in a letter. Schlegel asked for prayers from his family and friends as he decides whether to undergo chemotherapy or let the disease take its course. He says this week’s letter may be his farewell, but he does not fear death.

Schlegel is currently pastor of Church of the Gesu in Milwaukee. He was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1943. Before becoming president at Creighton, Schlegel was president of the University of San Francisco, another Jesuit college. Earlier in his career, he also worked at Marquette University and John Carroll University.