The Chaplain

A repulsive scandal, coming to light over the past few years, has rocked the Catholic Church, making every priest suspect. This was something horrific because it involved clergy at all levels of ecclesiastical hierarchy. Not one echelon, save that of the Pope, was untouched. The church was shaken to its very foundation. Thankfully, intelligent people know that there are good individuals in every profession - not perfect, but good. The Reverend Father Michael Hennessey is such a man. His sin came not in the form of pedophilia or molestation; rather, his developed from the unforeseen phenomenon of falling in love with a young married woman in his parish. The problem was compounded by the fact that as a celibate priest, could the confession of an illicit love affair remove guilt and restore sanctity? Or, would he be destined for punishment, leading him to the brink of self-destruction, as ordained by a demanding, righteous, and jealous God? Theresa Primavera had been the recipient of years of physical and emotional abuse from an older, bullying, and uncompromising husband. On more than one occasion, Anthony had been arrested for acts of violence on other people and had run across Father Hennessey, not in the church his wife attended, but in the priest's role as a chaplain for the Boston Police Department. Suspecting a liaison between his wife and the priest, he stalked her and later confronted her with his evidence. As a result, he set a trap for the priest, which would guarantee that Father Hennessey would not continue to be a part of her life. The Chaplain is the true story of one man's struggle with God. Father Hennessey asked his friend, Peter Mars, to write this book as a form of penance, and as a warning to other priests against similar situations they might encounter in life. He never realized the twists and turns his story would take.