Chapter 31

Peace at last ... unfortunately no.

Sunday afternoon the phone rang, a friend of Ron's was reporting the events of Morning Mass. Father Rose, still smarting from having to apologise for the Father Ryan attack on me, took the opportunity to castigate me publicly over the Mrs Dawson confrontation. Not only had I physically attacked an elderly lady, causing her to be hospitalised but I had, in public proposed to my sister, this was nothing short of incest, what else could be expected, my mother and uncle were living under the same roof in sin.

Ron was on the phone to Monsignor DiCarli, as he was speaking I could see he was livid. "Monsignor, this must be addressed immediately, this is a personal slur on my family, had it been anyone but a member of the church I would be suing them for defamation of character, I expect nothing less than a full public apology from Father Ruth and that he receives a thorough dressing down from yourself."

When Ron hung the phone up he was still shaking, "this has gone too far Jimmy, and the Monsignor said he would look into it, if he doesn't act on it I will take legal action against Rose."

Monsignor DiCarli, true to his word gave Fr Rose a good dressing down and made sure that a properly worded apology was forthcoming at the Evening Mass, we were there to ensure that the apology made no doubt who was in the wrong.