Volume > Issue > In the Country

In the Country

A PLACE FULL OF GRACE

By James Schmitmeyer | September 1997
The Rev. James Schmitmeyer is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Pastor of St. Louis Church in North Star, Ohio, and St. Nicholas Church in Osgood, Ohio.

“Where are your sheep, Father?” Jay asks as he throws another rock on the pile behind the barn.

“They got mad and left,” I respond as I try with a hoe to pry loose a slab of cement. “They got tired of this rocky manure yard and decided to go to the city. I think they’re headed for Chicago.”

“Father, priests aren’t supposed to lie.”

Jay is 10 years of age and old enough to provide some direction to misguided adults.

“I’m just telling you what they had on their minds. You don’t see them around anywhere, do you?”

“So where are they?”

Enjoyed reading this?

READ MORE! REGISTER TODAY

SUBSCRIBE

You May Also Enjoy

The Duality of Covenant Authority in the Catholic Church

The message of life’s rebirth came first to woman, and each time it is woman’s answer that determines the destiny of mankind.

What's Your Score on the S.A.T. (Salvation Aptitude Test)?

If this exam seems easy, you might want to try it out on your local Catholic-school eighth-grader or high-schooler.

Weakness Amid Strength: The Roman Catholic Paradox

We Catholics have nowhere near the influence that our numbers and organization would suggest. Man for man, woman for woman, the U.S. Catholic community has a surprisingly modest impact on American public life.