The good opinion piece by Fatter Juarez in the P-C today (Bread pudding, world’s end and seven deadly sins) set me thinking back to the church of my youth that I encountered at Mass, Catechism, and cake socials (I never much looked at the cakes but I do remember watching the pre-casino spinning of the hucklebuck wheel).
And also most memorably inspiring in those times, and far from the deadly sins that Father Juarez lists in his piece, there were the movies featuring all that singing and do-goodin’ that was going on in the parishes of Fathers Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald in “Going My Way” and Father Crosby again with Sister Ingrid Bergman in the “Bells of St. Mary’s,” Father Spencer Tracy in “Boys Town,” Father Frank Sinatra in “The Miracle of the Bells,” and Father Donald Crisp in “Knute Rockne All American.”
And there was also Father Humphrey Bogart in the “Left Hand of God,” who was actually the rascal Jim Carmody who for convenience was only pretending to be a missionary priest in China, but he ends up having the garb bring out the best in him.
If in lent I put on some better and more caring ways, maybe it can sort of brings out the best in me. But I’m sorry Father, I am not going to eat any capirotada, I already did my penance by eating a ton of tuna and noodles---I always suspected that everyone else around the table just loved it.