I don’t wear my cassock and Benedictine scapular every day, but I often do on Fridays, and it is usually on a Friday afternoon that I end up running some errands.

So today I was in the grocery store picking up a few things and around the corner comes a rather ample African American lady with purple hair and big framed orange glasses.

When she saw me in my cassock and scapular she shrieked with delight, then walked right up and said, “Can I give you a hug?”

“Of course” I laughed and gave her a hug. “Are you a Catholic?”

“No sir!”

“Well, I can help you with that.”

Another shriek–this time of laughter. “Are you a pastor?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Praise the Lord!”

“Amen!” I replied “Now y’all have a great weekend, and don’t you forget to go to church!”

“No sir. We’ll be at church. Yes we will.”

It’s great being a Catholic in the South.