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"Charles, this is Kim. If you have a minute, I need you to come over."
Kim Miller, known as Reverend Kim to her parishioners, was the
spiritual leader of the First United Methodist Church of Deerfield.
She was a minister in possession of the magical "calling"
that was spoken of in seminary. She was somebody you would want at
your side in a crises, as she always had a perfectly clear head and a
spark of intuition that led her to actions and conclusions that would
elude everybody else. She had been posted to Deerfield First for
almost two years now, after a string of successful postings in
smaller churches in older neighborhoods around the metro area and
some of the rural environs.
Father Charles Dennis had come down to Deerfield from up north. He
had been at St Lucidious since before anyone could remember, its
leader for over ten full years. He had started as an associate
pastor, hearing confessions and leading the children in taking their
communions and confirmation. Back then, he would step aside and allow
"old" Father Wilson lead the actual ceremonies. Father
Wilson was charismatic in front of a crowd, but always made Father
Charles a little uncomfortable by his lack of attention to detail.
Sometimes he would be so busy blessing the children at Easter that he
would bless the choir and the ushers and the custodial staff.
"You practically had to tackle him or he would be out front
blessing the cars in the parking lot", Father Charles used to
say in a stage whisper while shaking his head. But Father Wilson had
retired years ago, and the note about his passing away had merited
three columns in the Midwest Catholic newsletter.
It was Father Wilson that had started the blessing of the children's
pets on the feast of St Francis, an annual duty which Father Charles
had quickly passed on to his associate after doing his duty for
exactly one year. Father Wilson had also been the catalyst behind the
ecumenical Easter Feast that brought together all the Christian
churches in Deerfield every Easter morning sunrise. "Just the
hippies", Father Charles liked to say while shaking his head, as
the "real Catholics", the one's that served in the KofC and
the Daughters of Isabella skipped over the silly pre-dawn event and
were in the pews at 8am sharp, ready for the Easter rosary.
But it was unlike Reverend Kim, (with the emphasized
inflection Charles always made since she replaced Rev Phil Conners)
to need his help. Reverend Kim had a steady head and never needed any
extra sessions about the ecumenical events. She was quick to get to
work, and always spoke extemporaneously at them. Charles had been
delegated to the old testament readings for a half dozen years by
now. But her request seemed serious.
"I'm on my way to Muni for a couple visits, but will stop over
first, Kim".
"Thanks".
Deerfield First was an opulent edifice, by Methodist standards, but
Father Charles knew that it took the Catholics to really build a
church. And there was nothing of the modern white-pine and tan brick
about either church that stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the
sunrise on First street and staring at each other across Cherry, like
rooks on a chessboard. The methodist church was gothic styled but
used modern white marble and blue trim, while St Lucidius was a
traditional red and brown brick from her ten stair raised front
entrance all the way up to the small crosses that topped her two bell
towers. And there were real bells in those towers; they weren't
empty, and they didn't have cheap speakers that played bells. No she
was a real church.
From his rectory office behind the church it was easy to cross over
Cherry to the blue trimmed parsonage right across the street.
Sometimes it seemed like those crazy corners with two gas stations or
two banks. It was Father Wilson that sponsored the first banner
between the buildings, the Easter banner that Charles crossed beneath
before opening the white picket gate and entering the Deerfield First office.
"Good morning, Mrs Ramirez."
"Good morning, Father Charles, go right in. Reverend Kim is
expecting you. " |
