PARISH,
THE STORIES
This 35-chapter,
279-page book recounts
the experiences of
an altar boy:
- Eating unblessed
hosts and drinking
unblessed wine.
- Forgetting his
Latin prayers at
the foot of the
altar.
- Serving early
mass for a drunken
flatulent priest
with overwhelming
bad breath.
- The embarrassment
of ringing the
bells at the wrong
time.
- Serving for a
strict and mean
pastor who built
a magnificent church
and parish, but
could never inspire
the Christian spirit.
- Entrance of a
Heaven-sent guitar
playing tenor in
black cassock and
white collar who
exemplified the
future of the new
Catholic Church
after Vatican II.
Catholic school
days:
- A beautiful mini-skirted
blonde teacher
who introduced
all the fifth grade
boys to the forbidden
land of lust, but
was fired in 1968
for protesting
the Vietnam War.
- The glory days
on the parish basketball
team and an opposing
player dying on
the court.
- A band of 8th
grade bullies who
terrorized a nun
and swirlied a
defenseless boy.
- His first love
and how she broke
his heart.
For anyone who grew
up in the '60s:
- Experiencing
the Vietnam War
within the parish.
- Playing bounce-or-fly
off the front porch
steps.
- Growing up in
a large family
with sibling rivalries.
- Confrontation
with a bully.
- Making money
by delivering newspapers
in frigid snowy
weather.
- Building forts
in a prairie among
quarreling brothers.
Stories from one
Catholic family:
- His father growing
up in Ireland and
sailing to America
to start a new
life.
- His mother’s
childhood on the
West side of Chicago
during the Great
Depression and
her big chance
to audition as
a singer for Major
Bowes’ Amateur
Hour (The American
Idol of yesteryear).
- Summers swimming
at a local lake.
- A fire that nearly
destroyed their
home.
- His mother’s
battle with cancer.
- Father’s
early departure.
|
Buy
the Book
Paperback Now Available at Bookstores Across U.S., Amazon.com, & BN.com.
"Warm and funny
memoir."
- Bill Zwecker,
Chicago Sun-Times
|
