A Coward for Them All

I read this book many years ago, while I was a seminarian. My mother had read it and we read it together. It impressed me (and my mom) deeply because there was so much to relate to in terms of accurate descriptions of situations within the Church, his love of his Priesthood, his inability to understand the changes brought about by Vatican Council II, so many frustrations of my own. I highly recommend this book. Now, many years later, as a priest myself, I have found a copy of this book again. In fact, I just ordered it on line (there was no Internet back then in the seminary days). I can't wait to read it again after.....30 years!

I remember James Kavanaugh from his days as a parish priest at St Mary Cathedral in Lansing Michigan. It is this experience that is the basis for many of the events in this novel. Enduring memories of Father Kavanaugh are: 1) his willingness to let us grade school kids climb all over him during recess; 2) his dedicated efforts to shoot the pigeons that made their home outside and even inside the Cathedral. Good man. Good priest. Good book!