CBB Review: Last Priest Standing

Catholic fiction in recent years has been finally seeing the well-deserved light of day. When I first heard that Lambing Press was releasing a collection of short stories, written by a priest no less, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. I was not disappointed and neither will you be.

Father Richard Infante has assembled six stories released in various other venues and an all new seventh novella to form the book The Last Priest Standing. The majority of the stories include priests as the central character. Though the banter within the stories and some of the circumstances covered are exclusive to the priesthood, they are also stories of humanity. That is what makes each of the stories compelling to read. The common thread of Catholicism weaves throughout the book and will put the reader in familiar surroundings.

In brief here is what you will find between the covers of this delightful read. “The Waters of Tribulation” tells the adrenaline pumping mission of a group of seminarians trying to rescue a family member from a flood. “Birdland” takes an inside peek at a priest who returns home for a family reunion. “Saints and Sojourners” follows three priests, reunited from seminary, on a pilgrimage that takes an unexpected twist. “Promise” is the only story in the book not containing a priest. Instead it focuses on a man, a woman and potential marriage. ”Fields of Grace” tells the tale of two priests, an uncle and nephew and their pilgrimage to see the tilma containing Our Lady of Guadalupe. In ”True Colors” readers join a priest as he questions his vocation in light of the death of a close friend. Finally, in ”Last Priest Standing” a beloved priest is on his deathbed and those touched by his priesthood reflect upon his legacy.

There is no coincidence that a collection of tales of the priesthood comes in at seven and there are seven sacraments in the Church. Baptism, Confession, Communion, Confirmation, Orders, Anointing and Matrimony are all interwoven through the pages of these stories….as well they should be. Deeply rooted in the Catholic faith, the Sacraments are as essential to the tales in this book as the priests that are the focus of them.

In summary you are going to love this book. Most of my reading time is filled with non-fiction works. Last Priest Standing was a delightful foray into another world, very much like our own. A refreshing read of fiction that one can dive into and not be afraid of what they are going to find. Father Richard Infante has pulled back the curtains and revealed the life involving the vocation of priesthood. Certainly priests have a unique vocation in life but they are human and the struggles they face, including those covered in these stories, are real and surprisingly familiar. We may not be encountering these problems from the same angle but we encounter them just the same. Do yourself a favor and check this book out.

_________________________________________________________________________