Twenty-Four
THE RECTORY PHONE RINGS at 8:30 a.m. It’s unusual for someone to call this early on a Monday. Concerned that it’s an emergency, I answer it with some gravity in my voice. “Saint Clare’s, Father Greer speaking.”
“Good morning, Father Greer,” Richard Davenport says, “I hope I’m not calling too early.”
“No, no,” I say, trying to sound as friendly as possible under the circumstances. “A priest is really on call twenty-four hours a day. Are you calling about the funeral Wednesday? I believe everything is ready. We’ll be getting the photos back from our printer today or tomorrow.”
“I’m sure everything is in your capable hands, Father,” he says, his voice oozing with gratitude mixed with a hint of condescension. “I wanted to talk to you about the fee for the Funeral Mass.”
“Yes,
