The Priest

"The Priest" is the story of Father Raphael, a man with an unusual past, who ultimately describes himself as "the worst priest in all of Christendom." In actuality, Father Raphael is a kind, charming, and cultured individual, whose love-deprived existence makes him feel old and hollow at the age of forty-two. But all that changes when a young woman named Roslyn Parrish arrives at the priest's church, seeking the position of soprano soloist with the choir. During the course of the novel, which mainly takes place in Los Angeles, other people see Father Raphael as some kind of angel- in one form or another. Yet the priest is only too human, yearns for life and belated happiness-but can't escape the death that stalks him relentlessly. Not only is this work about love between a man and a woman, but also explores the various kinds of love between individuals and how they have the capacity to redeem one another.