Settlement
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"Please," Father Ryan pleaded, "don’t transfer me. This isn’t a good time. I’ve had several personal crises in my life and I couldn’t handle a move. Besides, things are starting to gel in the parish. People are coming back to the fold. Income is on the rise." "I don’t think so. Letters indicate attendance has started to decline and if attendance is down, so the income must be." "I won’t go. You appointed me as pastor for a period of six years. I’ll ride out my time." "But a few minutes ago you told me how obedient you were." "In matters of faith, I shall be obedient." "It is within my power to transfer you and under your pledge of obedience you will go. So, under that vow, I am reassigning you to Sacred Heart parish in Iron River. As you know, Peter Morris will be leaving the middle of September." "I can’t go. I won’t go." "That’s my order." Bishop Davis stood and extended his hand. Father Ryan refused the handshake and remained seated. "You’re going to let the lies of a lesbian destroy my ministry?" "It’s not just Julie Johnson who’s writing to me." "Who else?" "What has been said was told to me in confidence. I haven’t permission to divulge their identity." "Your Excellency, do you remember when I was a seminarian at Saint John’s in Detroit?" "Sure." Bishop Davis’ face brightened. "I was rector during your four years there." "If you insist on transferring me, I’ll get the word to the entire Catholic population of the Upper Peninsula how you used to fondle me in the locker room." "That’s preposterous. I know that isn’t true and you know it isn’t true." The priest gloated. "Don’t you remember, John? I was your fair-haired boy. After the others left, you’d come down to the basement and wait for me until I came out of the shower. I was naked and wet. And it turned you on." "Nothing of the sort happened and nobody is going to believe you." "I have a small following. There’s that group who believe the bleeding host is the bleeding host. They’re forever looking for signs given by God and they’ll buy into just about anything. Now get that lipstick dyke and her butch off my back and let me get back to Bedford and life as usual." "I didn’t expect you’d ever do this." "What about forgetting my transfer?" Bishop Davis opened the door and extended his hand indicating Father Ryan precede him into the outer office. "I’m disappointed in you, Matthew." "Well, how about letting me finish out my appointment at Saint Margaret’s? That’ll be completed in less than four years." "I’ll think about it."
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About the Book
In every profession there are young men and women who fall through the cracks, graduate and come to degrade the trust, respect and admiration rendered to their peers. Even the priesthood has such persons and the cover-ups and tactics that go with it surpass any other calling. Until recently the priesthood was protected and went unnoticed until the media started reporting financial and sexual impropriety discovered within the Catholic Church. When this comes to light, diocesan offices will go to any extreme to cover up the crimes and prevent scandal. Many find it difficult to believe that some who perform God’s work, especially priests, engage in criminal acts of fraud, deceit, embezzlement or sexual misconduct – but they do. This novel is about such an individual. Father Matthew Ryan is personable and superficially charming. Yet his persistent impulsive, irresponsible, amoral and immoral behavior combined with distorted thinking and feeling is manifested in disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others. Within twenty-four hours after arriving at the parish, he terminates the housekeeper and makes other major changes. Repeated letters and visits are made to the bishop but to no avail. After discharging the parish secretary and eventually establishing a physical relationship with her son, the story takes an unexpected twist. The turning point is when two boarders in the rectory commit a heinous crime. From then on, the priest is dealt with outside the realm of the diocesan office. The manner in which this is done is atypical of any mid-western, redneck town. But Mary "Mac" McBride, considered an outcast of parish life, takes the situation in hand and does what needs to be done. Nobody wants to take on the Catholic Church. Yet this story does not bash that institution. Rather, it exposes those who take advantage of power then hide behind the skirts of the very tradition they claim to love, honor and serve. This isn’t just a story about a priest’s dysfunctional behavior. It’s also about justice and about responsible parishioners taking extreme measures when everything else seems to fail. As the plot unfolds, liberals and conservatives of every denomination will find their thinking regarding the institutional church challenged. Here’s a story worth reading. The timeliness of the topic makes this novel interesting, exciting and . . . believable.
About the Author
Don Giesen was born and grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He was raised in the pre-Vatican II Church and ordained a deacon in 1987. Advised by some that he’d be banished to Isle Royal in Lake Superior before it’s all over, and cautioned by many not to publish because the story was "on the cutting edge," he persisted. A registered nurse, Don received a Master’s Degree in Hospital Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He worked in that profession from 1964 until retiring in 1994 to pursue a writing career.