1986. A time gone by. Father Jerry Dolan is a genial parish priest, dealing well with the pressures of a job not often appreciated. One Saturday afternoon, Katie Cachencko, a young parishioner, arrives with something on her mind. Her confession is one of the wildest on record and results in both Jerry and Katie revealing their strong, illicit feelings for each other. By the time the afternoon is over, Jerry has confronted Katie’s husband, Ralph, a brute with a brain who is not put off by Jerry’s collar as he investigates his wife’s skittish behavior of late. If I were to tell you that a high school wrestling match between Jerry and Ralph is recalled and replayed in the confession room, would you believe me?
"Neary is a Catholic Neil Simon. (He) adroitly balances laughter and pathos in a story whose ending is lovely, sensible and satisfying." Arthur Friedman, The Boston Herald"
Hilarious and touching. Neary has an ear for one-liners and colloquial language. It’s like ‘The Big Chill in the Church." Patti Hartigan, the Boston Globe"
Neary has a flair for lively, often funny dialogue..." Variety
"While the humor in TO FORGIVE, DIVINE has a Catholic base, it is universal enough to appeal to all audiences because its theme of reconciliation reaches beyond a single creed. Neary isn’t so much interested in lambasting the church for its shortcomings as he is in depicting the role that it plays in its characters’ lives." Cliff Gallo, the Los Angeles Reader.
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