On this last Christmas before he retires, in his 48th year of presiding over hallelujahs and not-so-silent nights, the Rev. Raymond O’Donnell “Father Jerry” to his flock will stand before parishioners and visitors to deliver his homily for the sacred Christian holiday.
He will begin by talking about his dog.
O’Donnell will share with folks that he has no idea why his dog, a 9-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Monsignor, has to smell every bush and every tree. He couldn’t know unless he became a dog himself.
Then he will transition from dog to God and the crux of Christmas.