Last Priest Standing and other stories

by Richard Infante

Seven Stories of GraceThe list of authors who have illuminated the life of the Catholic clergy is G.K. Chesterton, Georges Bernanos, J.F. Powers, Edwin O'Connor, and Graham Greene. To that list you can now add Richard Infante, a priest himself and a master of the art of fiction. This volume gathers his already-published stories with a new novella, "Saints and Sojourners."The drama in the stories emerges from matters peculiar to priestly life, yet applicable to every vocation. In priesthood as in family life, there are generation gaps. There are crises. There are infidelities — and near-infidelities.And there is always grace, though it sometimes arrives in a distressing disguise."These stories are something more than realist. They're real. And so they hit a reader not the way words usually do, but rather the way life does." From the foreword by Mike Aquilina

Genres: Catholic, Fiction

346 pages, Paperback

Published October 21, 2015

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not many priests write good fiction. Even fewer write good fiction about faith. Fr. Infante does a fine job writing real people, mostly priests, who are wrestling with life, death, and everything in between. The seven stories revolve around one or more of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Perhaps this will appeal more to priests, and certainly there are parts that won't be immediately accessible to non-Catholics, but I hope it finds a wider readership.

[MICHAEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book works as short fiction, enjoyable, engaging tales with well developed characters, but it also stands as a window into the world of the modern Priest. Not political or apology in its premise, but real life issues as they relate to the challenges of the modern Priesthood. It is rooted in its geography, which I found comfortable since I have some family history there, but I believe the author made the land come alive in description.

The weakness here might have been the dialogue as it never read as crisp as the descriptions, but not so much that it was distracting.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not generally a great fan of short fiction. Father Richard Infante is the pastor of the church to which I belong and I was curious about his collection of (seven) short stories. As one would expect, most of the stories have priest(s) as a central character(s). Parts of certain stories are familiar as I have heard Father Richard make similar references in his homilies. All in all, I was not overly impressed. Some stories seemed too long, others too short. My favorite was Fields of Grace, the one about the priest uncle and his priest nephew.

One thing that annoyed me was the use of "Fr." for "Father" throughout the stories.

[John A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

A marvelous collection of stories capturing the breadth of Catholic life and faith. The subtlety with which the sacraments are presented enhances the narratives.

[Faith Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a book of short stories. Easy read. I like to read short stories while traveling because you can complete the story on a trip. This book fit the bill.

[Ann Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and enjoyable book for understanding the heart of priesthood. These short stories, written by a Catholic priest and about priests and seminarians, are gentle and nuanced . Surprising none are set among the hectic demands of parish life, but most often when the priest is on vacation or pilgrimage, reflecting on the meaning of his call. I hope that Father Infante will write again, and perhaps introduce readers to the realities of running a parish in contemporary America. But for now I thoroughly enjoyed these. It's an easy but soul-provoking read.

[Dr. Prosciutto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great work of contemporary Catholic fiction with stories centered around the priesthood and the Sacraments.