Catholic Rites

Father O`Malley rose from his bed. It was a fine spring day in his new Texas mission parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside.

He then noticed there was a jackass lying dead in the middle of his front lawn. He promptly called the local police station. The conversation went like this:

“Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones. How might I help you?”

“And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O’Malley at St. Brigid’s.There’s a jackass lying dead in me front lawn. Would ye be so kind as to send a couple o’ yer lads to take care of the matter?”

Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with a smirk,”Well now father, it was always my impression that you people took care of last rites!”

There was dead silence on the line for a long moment.

Father O’Malley then replied: “Aye, tis certainly true, but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin.”Catholi