As for Father Timothy O’Malley, he never confronted Scott after Kathleen’s accusations of physical abuse, although she asked him once if he would talk to Scott after an especially trying confession. The priest’s explanation was that both of them needed to see him in the formality of the rectory, an act that Kathleen and Father O’Malley knew Scott would never do. She did not ask again, just as she never entered the confessional again.
To Kathleen’s way of thinking, the real reason the priest never confronted Scott was money. Once a year, at Easter, when Scott attended Mass for the consumption of the community and Father O’Malley, he would casually throw a $10,000 unfolded check into the basket. Everyone else who sat in the prestigious front pew saw Scott’s generosity as the basket was passed from person to person, much to Kathleen’s embarrassment. And at the end of Easter Mass, when the priest greeted his flock, Scott always received a hearty hug.
Click Follow to receive emails when this author adds content on Bublish
Comment on this Bubble
Your comment and a link to this bubble will also appear in your Facebook feed.