He loved to party and dance !
And, he enjoyed telling us about it.
The worshippers sat spellbound as our priest, newly arrived from an Asian country, told us about the time he led a group of seminarians to a local pub. There, they drank, and he danced on a table.
I looked around to see people’s reaction. Some were laughing. I was shocked.
A few weeks later, during another homily (sermon), the Father described how he had once smashed his vehicle and was charged with a DUI violation, before he came to Canada.
Something was wrong here, but no one said anything.
This is because parishioners, especially poor worshippers, have been conditioned for centuries that it is a grave sin to ever question anything a priest says or does.
We should have listened to our intuition. Human intuition is often remarkable accurate.
It was not the Father’s drinking that led to his eventual unexplained disappearance, although it contributed to it.
Alcohol impairs judgement.
The reform and purification of the church will depend, in large part, on laypeople who are attentive, discerning, and assertive.
God expects us to speak up when we suspect wrongdoing.
Pictured is our neighbour’s house.
Rural Newfoundlanders have, unfortunately, experienced much clergy betrayal.
