Father Murphy is sitting in his office chair as the Vicar General of Episcoville. He is day dreaming or rather reminiscing about what happened nearly a year ago. He remembers the first concert at Saint Victor, the sudden death of father Francis Schaapman at Ogsburg, the unexpected call to replace him and finally his nomination as the new Vicar General of the diocese of Episcoville.

At his arrival at his new post, Bischop Felix Coldini calls him to his office. “You remember, John,” Bishop Coldini says “how we arrived together at the seminary, years ago. We had much in common and that made that we felt drawn to each other and was the backbone of a solid friendship which lasts even until today. Our family and social backgrounds were very similar. You came from Ogsburg and I from Episcoville. Our parents were both bilingual and used to speak both English and French at home, but without mixing the two languages all the time. We both also befriended groups of young people from the
Italian and German settlers and learned their languages and spoke them fluently. At the seminary we liked to joke with our fellow students and even the teachers. If we wished that they could not understand what we were saying to each other, we spoke English when we were with a francophone and French in front of an Anglophone. If the student was bilingual to we turned to German or Italian. We did the same with our teachers. We enjoyed teasing them like that. We were always together, so that people used to say: ‘Where John is, is Felix’ or ‘Where Felix is, is John’.

We were both at the top of the class. Either you or I was first and the other second. And it looked as if we took turns. Our fellow students sometimes thought that we had agreed in advance who would be number one and who number two. That was not true, though. We were ordained on the same day and made together a trip through Europe. In English and French speaking countries we were of course equal. In Germany you were slightly better. In Italy we were again equal. After that, I wanted to be a missionary but was sent to Rome to obtain degrees and, back at home, was offered teaching at the seminary and at the university. And they made me a bishop. You were interested in pursuing Biblical and patristic studies but also had a pastoral heart. You have studied patrology as an autodidact while working in parishes. You have apparently kept this up till today corresponding through e-mail with professors in this field of study through out the world. You even built up a library collection of Migne’s Patrologia Latina. God knows how…”

“Oh, Felix”, John interrupted, “I corresponded through e-mail with contacts I had made on our European trip. When certain religious communities were closed I had a chance to buy their books.”

“Well”, replied Bishop Coldini “whatever method you used, you succeeded in collecting a rare private library in patristics in several languages. You were also a fine piano player while I preferred to play in sports on the field.”

Now we are again together. I know you prefer parish work to an office desk. But I need you. I know no other priest in the diocese who can do a better job than you as V.G. You know all the priests, the retired ones and the active ones, and also the seminarians and have a personal interest in each one. You know the diocese better than I do myself and than Canon Doyon, your predecessor, who sometimes consulted you, I believe.” John nodded in reply. “You have a talent for organising your time and I am sure you will find time to do pastoral work here at the cathedral and elsewhere in the city. And you’ll even manage to work on your musical and artistic ministry for the concerts. I am sure also that you will continue commenting Father Alexander Dumas’s poetry.” John nodded again.

“Together we form a fine team, uniting an intellectual side with a pastoral one.

We were class mates and good friends. So I did not want you to call me ‘Excellency’. You found a compromise by calling me ‘my excellent Felix’.

(Indeed, Felix Coldini was an excellent bishop. Many bishops asked themselves whether he would not be one day called to become the archbishop primate of Quebox and eventually receive the title of cardinal. This is in fact what happened a few years later. At the strong recommendation of Bishop Coldini, Msgr. Murphy was nominated the new Bishop of Episcoville. Then Felix called John ‘his excellent John’ in return. When Felix had become a cardinal, John called him ‘his eminent Felix’. But I am running ahead in our story.)

Both Felix and John favorised the Daisy Movement. They showed the Daisy pin proudly on their clothes. This provoked sometimes questions from the people and engaged them in a conversation on the Daisy Movement. They were convinced that the prayers of the Daisies for their adopted priest helped them in their ministry and their spiritual life. The lay people prayed for the sanctification of their adopted priests. These in turn sanctified their parishioners.
Their pastoral goal was that every priest in the diocese would have at least one Daisy to pray for him. They supported the lay coordinator in every way they could.

The Daisy Movement is alive in many dioceses. In the diocese of Episcoville there is this particularity that both Bishop Felix Coldini and his Vicar General John Murphy promoted the movement by word of mouth and in writing in the monthly diocesan publication called Episconotes. They stimulated the family spirit. For, as they say, a Daisy is formed of the heart in the centre, that is the adopted priest, and the corona of the seven Petals. Together they form a small spiritual family working and praying together. In several parishes, the Daisies also come together to adore an hour every week. Sometimes they meet to eat a meal either at a home of one of the Petals or in a restaurant. The Petals also assist in parish work.

Since his precipitated departure from Saint Victor, to go to Ogsburg, Father Murphy has not forgotten his younger fellow priest. They therefore take their weekly day off together and use that time to work at their artistic and musical ministry. Father Murphy arrives at Saint Victor every Sunday well before supper time. The two priests eat and pray Vespers together. Any pastoral problem that comes up they discuss friendly and try to find a solution. On Mondays, they use the forenoon, from eight to noon, to prepare the coming-up concerts. They compose and discuss, train and sing in this way week after week.

One of the first times that the two priests are thus together, on a Sunday, the secretary enters the room to tell them that Mr. Pamoud is on the line with questions about Father Murphy. Father Murphy picks up the phone that is in the room and says: “Well, well, dear Mr. Pamoud. ‘Is it true that…’ ‘Is it exact that…’ he mockingly imitates this busy-body who puts his nose in all matters without doing anything. He is well known in the area for his intrigues. “…that I am dead?” continues Father Murphy. Mr. Pamoud is stunned to hear Father Murphy’s voice and does not know what to answer. He hesitates, then puts the phone down.

Father Murphy next turns to his younger fellow priest and says: “Oh, sorry, Father Dumas, I forgot to warn you against three persons in the parish who try to obtain your influence. First there is this famous Mr. Pamoud who does nothing but talks a lot. Besides, there are the mayor and the school principal. Be on your guard against all three. In big cities, like Ogsburg, and particularly in poor parishes, there is the danger of some rich people who will offer the priest large sums of money but for a favour. If you accept their offer, your hands are bound and these folks run your parish. And we have too many poor parishes in the diocese.

Week after week, the two artist priests work thus together to prepare a new concert and increase their friendship. Father Murphy has read all of Father Dumas’s poems and translates some of them into English. He also adds his commentaries. When they meet every week, he uses the occasion to check his interpretation. He does the same in German and Italian journals. His editors tell him that the German public prefers solid commentaries and the Italians like anecdotes. They have come international celebrities through their concerts and publications. This can be useful for it opens certain doors more easily.

Since the beginning, Father Dumas had published his poems at Fleurs et Rivières Publications. But this company does not accept Father Murphy’s English translation and his commentaries. This causes some problem. However, Musikware is willing to open a book store besides its CD operations. Fleurs et Rivières then starts a juridical process against Musikware accusing it of breaching its copyright. An anonymous person intervenes. Later it is discovered that this is Juanario. He uses his lawyer’s talents to smoothen out affairs. He even acquires the publishing house, removes its president-founder and put one of Musikware’s employees as manager. He also has acquired over fifty percent of Musikware and become the president of its board of directors. Since Musikware has opted for its new orientation by publishing religious CDs, some of its vice-presidents disagree with this. The anonymous person removes them from their posts. In fact, the evangelisation through CDs has not only advantaged the spiritual side but also increased its financial position, so that it has been able to open branch offices in the USA and in Europe. Since the anonymous lawyer now is the owner of both Musikware and Fleurs et Rivières, he makes the latter a subsidiary of the former and all legal problems are automatically solved.

Father Murphy has not forgotten his friend Father Roger Massé’s invitation to come to Saint Anthony on the Roc, where the wind always blows. Meanwhile the two priests have given several concerts. Let us name “Christmas at Saint Victor”, “Easter at Saint Andrew”, “Mary, Mother of God” at Our Lady of the Angels, “Christmas at the Cathedral” (at the invitation of Bishop Felix Coldini himself), “Advent at Guardian Angels”, and a few more. Now they prepare a concert for Saint Anthony of Padua, where Roger Massé is the parish priest. The church of Saint Anthony on the Roc is located on top of a mountain, with a marvellous view on the lake and the enchanting landscape.

The concert at Saint Anthony on the Roc, “where the wind always blows”, as people there use to say, is in the same situation as the other ones. The church is too small to contain all the people who want to hear the two priests sing. The solution is to open other spaces. First of all, the church hall. Then an auditorium in a school, another church both the pews and the hall, or finally to set up a large tent near the church. At Saint Anthony on the Roc, two large tents are erected flanking the church, one on the left side, the other at the right side. Musikware places a large screen in it with a television system with closed circuit, so that the people can hear and see the two priests singing. The two artists can only see the people in front of them in the church where they perform of course.

The evening of the concert, Saint Anthony on the Roc, “where the wind always blows”, experiments more than wind. There is a storm. Its speed reaches over sixty kilometres per hour: in the church the walls tremble, the windows vibrate. It is so strong that on the CD which the Musikware technicians record, you can hear the wind blowing and the windows vibrating. All at once, a power failure occurs. Our two singers, accompanying themselves on the guitar and on the piano, continue their song. And keep their cool. Consequently, the people in the pews remain calm and do not panic. The TV cameramen, lacking power, can no longer film. Later, on the CD, you can clearly hear the hurling wind and the ringing windows during the first part of the concert. It is like a special kind or orchestra. The remainder of the concert has of course to be repeated in studio.

One of the tents outside of the church is subject to a grave danger. The wind is so strong that it moves the sides of the tent heavily. In particular, the entrance, at the back of the tent, is moving dangerously back and forth. Then people inside of the tent are in darkness because the power failure has caused the light to go out and the sound to stop. So all that remains for the people is to go out of the tent and to return home. All at once, one of the tent poles is falling down. Some people start to shout. Then, from nowhere, a man comes forwards. He must have an enormous strength because alone he pushes the tent’s pole back against the weight of the tent’s canvas and the blowing wind. He succeeds to place the tent’s pole back into its place. He turns around and looks with piercing eyes at those who are shouting and on the point to cause a panic. Whatever it is in his eyes, he make them stop shouting. Anyone about to panic he lances a glance at and they remain calm. So he avoids a disaster. Some flash lights have began to shine. The mysterious stranger takes a lamp from his shoulder bag, a lamp so strong that he is able to guide the crowd out of the tent. He is wearing a beard and, on his shoulder bag, is a daisy design. Nobody knows who he is nor where he comes from. From the description given by some eye-witnesses, Father Murphy concludes that the mysterious stranger must have been Juanario, who has come to assist at the concert. Once the people have left the tent, the same man acts as a police officer regulating the traffic. All goes well thanks to the unknown stranger. Afterwards, he disappears in nowhere.

As the concert had been interrupted by the storm, Father Roger Massé, the parish priest of Saint Anthony of Padoua, takes his two guests to the rectory for the night. But our two musicians cannot sleep after these events. Father Dumas, with the help of a lit candle on his table, writes two poems, the two longest, most moving and most touching of his entire career. They are called: “Lit the candle” and “On the Rock of Calvary”. The two poems are written at the same time, going from one to the other, as Father Dumas indicated in his manuscript. Father Murphy, who cannot sleep either, writes his impressions of the evening, which he later inserted into his commentary.

The concert has been interrupted by the power failure, part of the program has not been recorded. Musikware’s director is quick to invite the two priests to record the missing songs in the studio. Forty-five minutes are missing. So, two days later, the two priests go to the studio. They record during the morning the missing songs which had been planned for the concert at Saint Anthony on the Rock. Next they take their lunch at the company’s cafeteria. Mrs. Drupeau, one of the vice-presidents, joins them at their table. She chats abundantly about the president of their board of directors, Maitre Ruanayo, who possesses seventy-five percent of the company’s shares. “He often comes to work on his computer and keeps abreast of what happens at the company” she says. After the first CD the two priests had recorded at Saint Victor he was the one who had reorientated Musikware in a religious direction. As Musikware’s lawyer he had solved the legal problems caused by Fleurs et Rivières Publishing House. He also had taken over that company’s shares and ousted its president founder.

When, after lunch, they return to the recording studio, Father Murphy sees Juanario through an open door in an office where he is working and greets him. Juanario returns it graciously. “That is Maître Ruanayo” , says Mrs. Drupeau. Father Murphy understands that she means Juanario but mispronounces the word taking the Spanish J for an R. Musikware’s director was right to insist to record also the two new poems entitled “Lit theCandle” and “On the rock of Calvary”. The emotion of that stormy night is recognizable on the CD. The texts have not even been printed. The two singing priests use the original manuscript and a photocopy for the recording.

This Christmas has been preceded by a stormy and emotional night.

Francis de Ruijte, Sorel-Tracy, November 2008 and March 2009.

Document created: 2008 November.
Latest update: 2009 October 26.