Page 29 - Demo

%u00a9Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights ReservedHOW TO LEGALLY QUOTE FROM THIS BOOKWhat They Did to the Kid 17and nursing and praying for long hours before the most holy Blessed Sacrament. What greater life could be yours than as daughters of Holy Mother Church? You boys know that the priest calls God down from heaven, body and blood, soul and divinity at the consecration; that the priest helps the sick and must go to help the dying even risking his own life in burning buildings and caved-in mines.%u201d%u201cWould you risk your life for me, Ryan?%u201d Barbara whispered.%u201cBarbara!%u201d Sister Mary Agnes snapped.%u201cThe time is short,%u201d Father Gerber continued, %u201cand the day of your graduation is at hand. This is the biggest chance in your lives.%u201d He looked about the room at Monica and Audrey and Ara Ann shining over girls like Barbara. %u201cHow many girls in here would like to seek the challenge of the Sisterhood?%u201dWe all sat quietly, straining to see whose hand went up. The girls sat stock still, poised like stones in a Virgin grotto of varnish and chalk. No one moved. No hand was raised.%u201cIs there no one,%u201d Father Gerber repeated, %u201cwho seeks the challenge of the Sisterhood?%u201dDanny Boyle whispered, %u201cI would.%u201dSister Mary Agnes spoke, over the snickers, too loud, from the back of the room. %u201cSome of the girls are indeed interested, Father. I have talked to them, but they seem to think it better to wait until after high school.%u201d%u201cI%u2019d rather be the mother of a priest,%u201d Barbara said.%u201cAnd I%u2019ll be the daddy,%u201d Danny whispered. %u201cMaybe it%u2019s the times,%u201d Sister Mary Agnes said. %u201cGirls today.%u201d%u201cThat%u2019s prudent thinking, girls, that you want to wait to be sure.%u201d The priest looked at the nun in a way that made her look like she hadn%u2019t done her job. %u201cBut it%u2019s best not to keep almighty God waiting. It%u2019s a far more blessed thing to save your vocation from the temptation of high school and go to the good Sisters%u2019 convent as soon as you take off your graduation gown.%u201dA few boys snorted at that, but there were no volunteers. Father Gerber reddened, then recouped. %u201cHow about all these fine young men, Sister? Who here now is thinking about being a priest?%u201dI sat a minute savoring the delicious moment of my perfect ascension into heaven. I had settled on the seminary by myself and the fact I could declare it in the very faces of the impure was incidental glory. The heads turned toward me, mouth-breathers marveling a little as I was ushered up from the long rows of desks and pencils and books. This moment of affirmation, of stated resolution, of perfect nya-nya-nya, was enough to