Stories of the Street - Twelve

Father James, the local Catholic parish priest walks down the street every morning at six forty five, he buys a paper, the Guardian, and walks back to the presbytery, which is next to his church whose entrance is just around the corner. He will scan the paper before he says the first Mass at half past seven. He could easily have the paper delivered but he needs the short walk to focus his mind on the day’s readings. He will have to provide a short homily at the Mass and then develop the theme for the other Mass he will say later on in the day. He is conscious that most of those who attend the early morning Mass are on their way to work and he wants the homily to be short, simple but meaningful to all those whose busy days are briefly punctuated by this morning worship.

Occasionally, he will pass Father Cochrane, the Anglican parish priest whose church is at the other end of the street. They greet each other in a distant fashion and never engage in even the slightest of conversations. Fr Cochrane buys a Daily Telegraph. He is eager to return to his sitting room and tackle the short crossword before he starts the day. He saves the cryptic one for supper time.

Fr James hardly ever notices anyone on his morning jaunt. He is too engrossed in the readings he has just studied before leaving the house. So, when he says good morning to Fr Cochrane he is usually oblivious to the fact that he is greeting a fellow priest. Fr Cochrane’s experience of these meetings if very different. He walks to waken himself up. He has to push himself into first gear each day and the walk and crossword are part of that process.

It hurts him each time he is ignored and shunned by the Catholic priest. He has contemplated the change from Anglican to Catholic many times and feels that Fr James would be such a help to him. After all, he Fr James was an Anglican once, himself.

But now that he is a Catholic priest he obviously feels himself too superior to register his fellow priest’s presence.

That simple belief is the one barrier to Fr Cochrane ‘s conversion. That almost daily snub is too much for him. So, he continues to push himself. He motivates himself with prayer, strong coffee, morning walks and the ritual of the Telegraph crosswords. And every day he wonders what to do.
Perhaps, at the next Churches together meeting or at the monthly meeting with the other local priests and pastors he will break that barrier which keeps him so distant from Fr James.