The large church was silent, with only the sounds of insects chirping breaking the stillness. Father Gregory stood at the altar, and before him was a young woman in a white gown. They spoke in hushed tones, and he pulled her closer, gripping her chin as he moved his lips towards hers.
Moments later, two elders, Anthony and Phillip, rushed into the church, looking very upset and angry with the priest. Their eyes widened in shock as they witnessed the revered Father Gregory committing an abominable act in the house of God. It felt unreal to them; they had never expected such behavior from him.
“You hypocrite! So this is what you do?” Anthony and Phillip screamed in shock.
“Father Gregory, you deserve to be punished! You can’t desecrate the house of God and expect to go unpunished!” Phillip screamed at him. He looked at the woman in the white gown with disgust and then shrugged. They vowed to write a petition to the bishop of the diocese. Gregory deserved to be stripped of his priestly status and sent home. The two elders marched out of the church, leaving Father Gregory in shock.
Father Gregory was a man deeply devoted to God. Born into a religious family, he attended Mass regularly and was raised with strong godly virtues. Tragically, he lost his parents at the age of 10, leaving him lonely and without a guardian.
Father Ferdinand, a well-respected priest in the diocese, decided to take in Gregory. He had always admired Gregory’s passion for the church. Living with Father Ferdinand, Gregory’s spiritual life flourished. He learned the art of prayer and, by the age of 15, could perform some priestly duties unsupervised. He even mastered exorcism. Father Ferdinand admired Gregory’s passion for the church and knew he would make a good priest, so he decided to sponsor Gregory through seminary school.
At seminary, Gregory stood out and was loved by his tutors. His wisdom and skill in spiritual matters were exceptional. He successfully graduated as a young priest and was appointed as an assistant to Father Ferdinand. Together, they performed remarkable feats in the community, standing firm to purge the city of witchcraft and vices.
The bishop of the diocese heard about Gregory’s achievements and decided to transfer him to a larger parish in another city. Father Ferdinand cried when he heard the news. He had come to love Gregory like his son; however, he couldn’t oppose the decision of the diocese, and he was proud of Gregory. He advised him to stay focused and avoid any form of religious politics.
After two days, Gregory left his hometown and arrived in the city. In the new parish, everyone loved Gregory for his selflessness and passion for the church. He prayed for the sick and taught them the word of God. Several people possessed by strange spirits were freed through his exorcisms. This increased his popularity, and the church’s population grew. But Gregory soon discovered a troubling issue: a group of respected elders who formed the church’s financial council were secretly misusing church funds for their own gain. These prominent community leaders were embezzling money, taking advantage of their positions of trust.
Gregory was deeply troubled by their actions and tried to reason with them, urging them to stop. However, they refused to listen, using their age, influence, and authority to silence him. Whenever Gregory attempted to address the issue, they would tell him to focus solely on his spiritual duties and leave the financial matters to them. Their resistance made it difficult for Gregory to effectively address the problem.
In the council, two people hated Gregory deeply: Anthony and Phillip. They didn’t even hide their disgust for the priest. They hated him because he represented everything they were not: deeply pious and incorruptible. Despite their open dislike, Gregory wasn’t afraid of them. He knew the council was wrong and prayed they would change. However, as time went on, the council’s notorious acts only increased. There was no money to fund the church clinic or feed the orphans, yet the council continued embezzling funds.
Gregory couldn’t bear it any longer. He wrote letters to the diocese, warning them about the council’s actions. When the elders heard about the petition, they became furious with Gregory. They saw him as a defiant priest who wouldn’t bow to their authority. In retaliation, the council wrote anonymous letters to the diocese demanding Gregory’s removal and return to his hometown. They falsely claimed that Gregory’s preaching was outdated and was driving members away. However, the bishop of the diocese never acted on their letters. He knew about Gregory’s good works and figured the letters were only desperate attempts to bring him down.
Phillip, Anthony, and the entire council decided to set traps for Gregory, hoping he would fall into one so they could make a case against him. A week later, the church raised money for the welfare of the community orphans, with the council as usual in charge of the funds.
The next day, the council gathered with key church members to discuss crucial matters regarding church development and projects. During the meeting, Phillip and Anthony, who had consistently shown disdain for Gregory, praised his dedication to the church and announced plans to buy him a brand new car. They claimed it was something Gregory had always wanted, and the council agreed to purchase it in two days.
On Tuesday morning, Gregory sat on his balcony, sipping his coffee and reading a newsletter from a nearby parish. He was engrossed in the article when he noticed a sleek black car driving into the church premises. At first, he assumed it belonged to a new member or a visitor, but his curiosity was piqued when another car arrived and some council members stepped out. They signaled for Gregory to join them, and he followed them into the church, wondering what was going on.
When they got to the church compound, Phillip cleared his throat and began to speak. “Father Gregory, we wanted to show our appreciation for your tireless service to the church. You’ve always been dedicated to our community, and we thought it was time to reward you.” He paused for dramatic effect before announcing, “We’ve decided to give you a brand new car.”
Gregory was taken aback by the gesture, but his initial gratitude quickly turned to suspicion. He knew that Anthony and Phillip harbored strong dislike for him, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that their motives were not entirely pure. He asked about the source of the money, but the elder hesitated, exchanging uncomfortable glances. After a brief exchange of arguments, one of them, who hadn’t been in support, finally admitted that the funds came from Sunday’s contributions intended for the orphans.
Gregory’s heart sank as he realized the truth. He couldn’t accept a car while the children were starving. He refused the gift, his voice firm but polite. “Thank you for your generosity, but I cannot accept this car. Please return the money to its original purpose. The orphans need it more than I do.”
The council tried to persuade him, but Gregory remained firm in his decision. Phillip and Anthony looked at him in frustration, baffled by his refusal to be swayed by material possessions. They had underestimated Gregory’s commitment to his values and his unwavering dedication to the well-being of his community.
“The Lord forbid that I ride a new car at the expense of the hungry kids,” Gregory said and walked out on them. It turned out that the council’s plan was to give Gregory the car and then wait for the children to start suffering from starvation.
They hoped the news would spread that the priest had used the funds meant for the kids to buy a new car. This would quickly reach the bishop, and the council would claim that Gregory had demanded the car, forcing them to use church funds for it. However, their plan was thwarted. They needed to come up with a new strategy and set another trap.
The council reached out to Gregory again, but he refused to listen. He insisted that they return the car, recover the funds, and use them to support the community orphans. The council had no choice but to return the car.
A few weeks later, the council hired a young attractive woman who could charm anyone with her looks. She was brought to the parish and assigned as Gregory’s chef. Gregory was taken aback by this development. He didn’t need a personal chef as he was perfectly capable of cooking for himself, and some nuns often came over to prepare his meals.
Despite his objections, the council insisted that he needed someone to cater to his needs. Gregory wanted to dismiss the woman, but she pleaded with him, saying she was poor and needed the job to support herself. Moved by her situation, Gregory agreed to let her stay, though he resolved to be cautious around her.
The lady resumed her duties, and Gregory soon noticed some troubling things about her. Once, she dressed provocatively to serve him, which made him very uncomfortable. He immediately ordered her to change, and she did. She quickly apologized and explained that the weather was hot and that she didn’t want to lose her job. Gregory gently told her that it couldn’t happen again as it was the house of God. She’d have to dress modestly or leave. She remained in good behavior until one night.
That fateful night, Father Gregory heard the soft creak of his door followed by the soft padding of footsteps. He sprang up, and his heart raced very fast. He caught the lady lurking in the shadows, her eyes gleaming like a predator.
“Get out!” Gregory bellowed, his voice shaking the rafters. “This is a mission house. Flee from me, devil!”
The lady’s eyes flashed with defiance, but she knew she was cornered. With a snarl, she spun on her heel and fled, her footsteps echoing down the hallway like a death knell.
The council of elders seethed with rage when they heard the news. They had hired and paid her to seduce Gregory. The plan was to trap him in a compromising
situation and then take pictures to use against him. The elders were determined to remove him from the parish by any means necessary. Phillip’s face turned beet red, and his veins bulged like a snake about to strike.
“This is war,” Phillip growled, his voice low and menacing. “We’ll show him the true meaning of power.”
As weeks passed, Phillip and Anthony couldn’t embezzle funds anymore because Gregory’s vigilant presence was everywhere. Hence, they were even more desperate to throw him out. Unfortunately, no matter what they did, Father Gregory was always one step ahead. But just when it started to seem like they would never make progress, Anthony and Phillip caught Father Gregory in a compromising position with the girl in the white gown, Elizabeth.
It happened one evening during the Lenten season. That morning, Anthony and Phillip had decided to inspect the church to ensure the cleaners were doing their job properly. As they approached the entrance, they saw the masked girl standing on the altar. The mask was worn as a form of penance and humility during Lent, symbolizing their sinfulness and need for redemption. Father Gregory had instructed the church members to wear the masks, but Anthony and Phillip had refused, claiming that the act made no sense.
Anthony and Phillip wondered what they were doing inside the church since there wasn’t any Mass or event that they knew of. But just as they were about to walk away, Anthony’s eyes widened in shock when he saw Gregory kiss the girl. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. As the scene unfolded, Anthony quickly pulled out his phone and discreetly recorded a video.
The lady then walked down from the altar, and another one took her place. Just before Father Gregory could kiss the next woman, the elders walked into the church. At first, they were shocked and wondered if he was drunk, unable to believe he was involved in such an act. They screamed at Gregory, hurling insults and accusations. Unable to defend himself amidst their furious ranting, Gregory could only watch in stunned silence. The elders pointed accusing fingers at him, calling him a hypocrite. They happily marched out of the church and headed to the cathedral.
When they arrived there, Anthony and Phillip first accused the bishop of ignoring their anonymous messages from the start.
“Your Excellency, if you had acted on our messages, Gregory wouldn’t have desecrated the church altar,” Anthony said humbly.
The bishop urged them to stay calm and explain the issue to him. Anthony then immediately handed his phone to the bishop and played the video. As the bishop watched the footage, he exploded in anger. He had trusted Gregory deeply and found it hard to believe what he was seeing. He issued orders for Gregory to immediately stop all activities in the parish and report to the cathedral. Anthony urged the bishop to expel Gregory immediately, calling him a deceiver and a traitor. Despite Anthony’s insistence, the bishop decided he needed to hear Gregory’s side of the story before making any final decisions.
Father Gregory received the order of suspension, and the news quickly spread through the town that he was involved in immoral activities with members of the choir. For the first time in a long time, Father Gregory was frightened. Would this be the end of his priesthood? As he drove to the cathedral, a tear streamed down his face as he prayed for wisdom on how to handle the situation.
“Dear Lord, I have sinned and come short of your glory. We all are sinners. Have mercy on me. I need you, Lord. Lead me and direct my path,” he prayed as he pulled up in front of the church.
As soon as he entered the hall, he faced the accusatory stares of the council of elders who glared at him with evident disgust.
“May the Lord purge us of his iniquity,” Anthony mocked.
Gregory took a deep breath, and with trembling hands, he brought out some documents from his bag. He placed them on the bishop’s table and cleared his throat.
“I am innocent of the charges against me,” Gregory declared.
“Lies! Lies! We have video evidence!” Anthony screamed as he jumped up from his seat. He almost attacked Gregory but was stopped by the other elders.
Gregory ignored his ranting and turned to face the bishop. He explained that a medical outreach had been taking place in the city, focusing on how to rescue people in emergency situations. Although Gregory had initially planned to skip the event due to his church responsibilities, Father Ferdinand had advised him to attend so he could share the knowledge with his congregation.
So, Gregory went to the program at the city hall, which lasted a week. He learned a great deal during this time. After the event, he asked the members of the parish emergency response team to meet with him the next day. He also invited members of the choir, altar servers, and the Legion of Mary so they could learn.
When they arrived, he taught them about medical simulation techniques. This could help in medical situations like cardiac arrest, drowning, drug overdose, choking, and anaphylaxis. One of the techniques he took time to teach was rescue breaths. Rescue breaths are a first aid technique used to help someone who is not breathing or is unconscious.
It involves blowing air into the person’s lungs to provide oxygen and simulate natural breathing until medical help arrives. This technique is commonly used in emergencies such as drowning, suffocation, and cardiac arrest. Father Gregory stressed the importance of this technique because the community had a history of tragic drownings. Many lives had been lost in the rivers that flowed through the area, making water safety a vital skill to learn. It was while he was teaching the team the rescue breaths technique that the two elders walked into the church.
“Lies! This man doesn’t deserve to be a priest,” Anthony cut the reverend father short.
“I’m innocent. Even if I wanted to do such, why would I do it in the church of God where anyone could walk in?” Gregory asked the elder, and he kept mute afterward.
The bishop opened the documents and reviewed them carefully. They included an official license allowing the church to practice medical simulation with the assistance of the priest. He then requested and reexamined the video the elders had recorded.
With the additional context, he understood the situation better. The chorus members were called in, and they confirmed Gregory’s account. Recognizing his mistake, the bishop apologized to Father Gregory for the misunderstanding. Seizing the opportunity, Gregory then reported the council’s misconduct, including how they’d been desperately trying to bring him down.
The bishop questioned the elders about this, but they had no satisfactory answers. He then assigned some priests to investigate the matter thoroughly. After a week, the investigation revealed troubling findings. The church had been collecting hundreds of dollars weekly from tithes and offerings, yet none of this money was used for the church’s welfare or community development.
The issue of the car was also addressed. Gregory informed the bishop that he had never needed or requested a car. The investigation into the strange lady revealed that she’d been paid by Phillip. When Phillip was questioned, he initially tried to lie, but the evidence was clear and undeniable. Faced with the mounting pressure, the council immediately confessed to their crimes. The bishop dissolved the council and appointed Father Gregory to oversee the entire church administration. From that day forward, significant improvements were made, and the church began to flourish.
