Quintessential Quinciensis
by The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC

I once dealt with a parish that was in that unusual category entitled a “Priest Killer” parish. I think the people of the parish wanted the best priest they could get, but they had typically been a bit critical of those whom they had.

I decided to write up brief resumes for 5 potential candidates. I did a resume for Elijah, St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, Jesus, and a priest who was available. I updated the data on each of the first four to be contemporary and I changed the names. I asked the Search Committee to review each resume carefully, and then to reduce the list to two. Elijah, St. John the Baptist, and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did not make the cut. They were concerned about how much one of the final two traveled (St. Paul), and that they were hesitant at first because he was a late vocation and bi-vocational. In the end, they asked me to approve the priest – which I did.

I think it was not the first time that our Lord did not make the cut, nor will it be the last.