Don Fitzpatrick

What is a Heaven For? Don Fitzpatrick

Father Tom Leonard is a spiritual, talented priest who has been mentored by his pastor in parish work for almost twenty years. Now he feels that he is ready to do more for the Lord, but he is shocked at the assignment the Bishop gives him. He is to create a new parish in a downtrodden part of the city, by splitting off half of an old Italian parish and merge it with a newly developing ethnic area of lower wage people. He will have a starter church constructed for him but he must find some place to start his first Sunday masses. His rectory will be a one hundred fifty year old refurbished mansion. What the Bishop doesn't tell him is that a retired city garbage dump adjoins his property. What neither the Bishop nor Tom knows is that the dishonest City Council President has entered into a deal with nefarious agents to have toxic chemicals buried in the dump at night. Severe weather and construction delays prevent his church from being completed. The pastor of the church he is dividing is uncooperative. His new associate priests fresh from the seminary arrive late and with no church built strike out on their own. Few parishioners join his church. The smell from the dump becomes more prominent. His complaints set him against the Council President. A small cadre of loyal Catholics join his church but they are so used to the dump they can't get aroused against it. Father Leonard's faith begins to flag. The attraction of his sexton's beautiful daughter becomes another impediment to his ministry. At the behest of his young associates he concedes to run a carnival to raise funds. A disastrous event occurs at the carnival and Father Leonard considers leaving the priesthood. In an exciting conclusion Father Leonard gains his redemption in a stand off withe the dump and the City Council President.