Community Chat

[terrier3]

One of my best friends and mentor, Father Joe Bissonnette, was murdered in his rectory by two young men. They came to his door asking for help...he let them in and started preparing food for them. They hit him over the head with the can of Chinese food, tied him up, and ultimately took his life. Several weeks later they did the same to a second elderly priest in the city. His story is in a book his brother wrote "Joe's Story."

He was the kindest, most generous, most caring person I have ever known.

He wasn't perferct - far from it. In fact he got in trouble with the bishop for signing a petition in favor of BC! He was transferred for that transgression.

But he was the sort who didn't sweat the small stuff in life - he saved his "outrage" for real problems...and spent his time seeking solutions...one person at a time.

I highly recommend the book during the Lenten season.

BTW -When the detectives came to investigate his murder, they found he was allowing a family of illegals to live on the top floor of the rectory too...

He probably would have "enraged" and "offended" many here...but Tim Russert and many others agreed with me that he was the most saintly man they had ever met.

As a further irony to the story...the rectory was later turned into a halfway house for convicts and re-named Bissonnette House. Six years ago right before Easter, the nun running the home was killed by one of the parolees.

All these things happened during Lent/Easter time...something I think of to this day.