In 1955 my brother Paul and I worked for Father Kilian at the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Ohio. One morning, while Kilian was saying mass, we were all waiting for mass to end and breakfast to begin. Looking out our second story window, about fifty feet from the church sacrestry door standing open for summer, I noticed a rat in the back yard. The only thing a 15 year old boy could do was to poke his shotgun out the screen and shoot it. Going down to the kitchen, we found Mary the houskeeper, Fr. Koch, Brothers Henry, Ignatious and Walters, all laughing, saying trouble was on the way. Coming through the back door, Kilian says “boys, up to your room.” He came up and gave us hell “Fr. Kilian Style.” On leaving the room he turned and with a big smile asked “did ya get the rat?” That ended the dicipline. We returned to the breakfast table to teasing that came from all.Â
Still almost 50 years later, when doing someting without proper reflection, I recall “did ya get the rat?” Â
Author : Kilian Zerr