After
25 years in the same church, Father Williams was saying his goodbyes at
his retirement dinner. A prominent member of the congregation, a leading
politician, had been asked to give a short speech but he was very late.
So the priest took it upon himself to fill the time and stood up to the microphone.
He
said: “I remember the first confession I heard here 25 years ago and it
worried me so much, I didn’t know if this was the right place for me.
That confession is still the worst I ever heard. This man had confessed
that he had stolen money from his parents and employer and that he had
affairs with several of his friends’ wives. That he had committed many
violent acts and never told the truth to anyone. You can imagine what I
thought… However, I am pleased to say that as time went on I soon
realized that this sad guy was a frightful exception and that this town
was a great place and was filled with wonderful people.”
