Blessings
5 retired clergy members, 2 ministers, a rabbi, a Catholic
priest and a nun, are “given” a rundown ranch to live in free of charge by the
social services department of a medium sized town, provided they agree to live
within and work within the community and amongst the flock in the very
embodiment of day to day living that their flocks do/did. In this day to day living, they all get
‘wake’ up calls in reality; often finding more things in common than their
theological differences would have one believe and finding out that things for
their flocks weren’t as easy or simple as they counseled them to believe they
were. Aside from living out their advancing
years, they become community, social welfare activists and counselors a
thousand times more than they ever were in their active ministries and discover
countless things about themselves and each other that they never knew.
Characters:
Reverend Jackson T. Adams.”Jack”…. A Methodist minister,
approx. 65 yrs old, whose Daddy was
an American History professor in college
He was widowed early in his marriage
and threw himself into his work,
never remarrying.
Rabbi Sid Gershon……… Was single for many
years. He and his lady love were kids
when
they eloped and the parents had
it annulled he too, never remarried. He
is about 60s-70s.
Father Michael Fitzgerald A
retired parish priest, nearly made monsignor, but retired due to health reasons; arthritis and asthma. He is
mid 60s. He was the last of 13 kids and born on a Friday the 13th.
Reverend Leon Bolton …. An African American Southern Baptist
Minister in his fifties who retired due to disability, and based upon decision
of his church board in favor of a younger and “healthier” minister.
Sister Margaret Connelly,
Sister Margaret, a retired principal and works as a part time hospital
chaplain. A bit cantankerous and
crotchety with the gents, but with kids and visitors she is just
as sweet as honey.
She is 72 and “been around a sight longer than the rest” she likes to
remind the gents. She is very Irish in her
temperament.
Bonnie Charles…… A social worker with City Allied Agency,
who knows not only the clergy representatives and works with them but helped to
bring them together as one, in one house.
Raymond Healy The
director of City Allied Agency. He too,
works with the clergy He left seminary,
prior to ordination to marry, He, with
Bonnie not only brought the clergy folks together but keeps them “busy” with assignments and tasks, from
time to time.
Yang Ho Quon
---- Master Gardener, next door
neighbor, mid 60s. (has dementia)
Lin Diem Quom
---- wife of Yang, lifelong
homemaker, early 60s.
Ernestine Quinn……sister of Fr. Mike. She is married with 5
kids and is always dropping by with some sort of food dish, as she thinks the men
aren’t properly fed… despite the nun living there, which
she thinks is shameful.
Pilot Episode: “The
Grass is Always Greener”
The characters are introduced and get a “taste” for setting
up housekeeping, which had previously been provided for by their respective
flocks or religious associations. They
hassle with the utility companies because they don’t have “credit” established
and have trouble establishing their worthiness. This episode also brings in an additional
resident, a retired Catholic nun.. who HAS a bit more of a grasp on the
realities of this community than the ministers do.
Episode 2: Forgive
and Forget
Rev. Adams is confronted with a friend from the past, who
was in prison for absconding with church and televangelism funds and who
erroneously tried to say that he was ‘in on it’ also. Fr. Fitzgerald and his sister Ernestine, try
to come to an understanding about his being all grown up and able to tend to
himself and her need to mother him.
Episode 3: Strange
Bedfellows
The Rabbi and Sister Margaret, upon discovering some
graffiti on the fence, try to work with the neighborhood association in order
to get a youth center started and give the kids something to do other than
mischief. Mrs. Quon wants them to add a
senior center.
Episode 4: Politics
Schmolitics
A state assemblyman, is pro a lot of things. Sr. Margaret and Fr. Fitzgerald try to work
with him on a more tactful approach in his contradictory dealings and the faith
which he claims to practice. Sid and
Jack, discover a connection from years back.. Jack’s dad was a liberator of a
concentration camp in WW2, where Sid’s uncle and nephews were sent and it
seems, Jack, in possession of his dad’s photo album, has pictures of said uncle
and nephews that are heartbreaking but endearing as Sid never “met” them.
Episode 5: A Season
of Renewal
The clergy, as they prepare to celebrate their respective Winter
holidays are met with a “clergyman” who needs a place to stay.. a moderate
Muslim cleric, a mullah who has been erroneously aligned with extremists and
who is being ‘investigated’. He is
cleared, but while he awaits being “cleared” they all use the time to jointly
educate each other, share some tears and care.
Episode 6: Sins of
the Fathers
Fr. Fitzgerald tries to counsel a man in his 40s who was
abused, by one of his former assistants, who has since been defrocked. Fr. Fitzgerald had the priest reassigned, but
did so thinking at the time, that it would help, not understanding, as many
didn’t that the perpetrator could not be “cured”, despite treatment he went
through.
Episode 7: A Woman’s
Place
Sister Margaret, in working with the youth center is
confronted with those who say she is mistreated and shut out of life being a
nun, when she should be granted full access.
She uses her ways and abilities to show how much she is not shut out of
anything, but in turn gives and brings peace of Heaven in her own way…
consecrating and blessing through charity and mercy.
