“Oh, snap,” Father Pat said, preparing to step out of the warm rectory into an icy Nor’easter. His clerical collar prohibited the use of stronger words, even though he’d heard them all many times, often followed by an “Oh, Sorry.”… Continue Reading
You may never know my name, but I have yours tattooed across my shoulders. I have tried to accept what divides us; however, I am helplessly pulled toward your half-turned-away face. Your downcast eyes ignore the jeers of the crowd.… Continue Reading
In my defense, Mom shouldn’t have kept the Communion elements in the rumpus room. In her defense, the room wasn’t used much. As an only child, it’s hard to make a rumpus, especially when being the minister’s daughter renders you… Continue Reading
My cat is haunted. I don’t mean that Marmalade is possessed, demonic, or evil (well, he does have an evil streak, but within the normal feline parameters). Rather, a ghost attached herself to him, the same way they often stick… Continue Reading
“Make a note, Edgardo,” the Monsignor said to me on the way back to his summer residence amid the opulent gardens of the palacio above the cathedral. “The shrieks of the heretic as the flame first touches her body are… Continue Reading
Before the two of them had sipped their drinks, the old landline rang in the other room. Father Collins put his mug down. He excused himself and limped away. While Father was tending to church business, Mrs. Harding reached into… Continue Reading
There’s a dirty brown puddle at the bottom of West Street where the snow has melted and turned to sludge. Not that many years ago she would have dived in with both feet, splashing till her socks and trousers were… Continue Reading
The Reverend Max Walker and his wife, Elizabeth, live a happy, contented life in Pleasant Junction, New Hampshire. Every Sunday, Reverend Max, as his parishioners affectionately call him, delivers a modest sermon in a small white church. Max is an… Continue Reading
The priest stood knee-deep in the shallow water of the bay, watching his town burn. He’d been awakened by the guns at dawn, forced to flee soon after. It was late afternoon but still they blazed on, though the siege… Continue Reading
“It’s a good to see you, Finn.” Father Michael’s smile was as welcoming as ever. Finn reflected that although the policemen always seemed to be getting younger, surely the priests did not. He had known Father Michael all his life… Continue Reading