Minnesota pastor dies after spinal injury on Italian cruise

Stephen Junker, a 58-year-old pastor from Brandon, Minnesota, has died following a severe spinal cord injury sustained during a cruise near Italy. Junker, who served at Chippewa Lutheran Church, was celebrating his son’s wedding aboard the Sun Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, when the incident occurred.

According to family accounts, Junker was found face down and unresponsive in a ship pool on August 16. The Italian Coast Guard transported him to a hospital in Naples, where he underwent emergency surgery to address severe compression of his spinal cord at the C3–C4 level. The injury left him quadriplegic and dependent on a ventilator.

Junker was later flown to the United States for treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He passed away on September 4, surrounded by his family. He is remembered by his community for his animated sermons and his previous career as a pharmacist.