Essay on Extraordinary

Why should I be interested in The Pilgrim’s Process you might ask?  Let me quote  Rectory Rant 103 to persuade you: "the Pilgrim’s Process is the only way left for true sanity, true wealth, true wisdom”
That kind of hyperbole is common with Father Duffy. He would say often (somewhat in contradiction to the typical parish priest) everyone ought to seek “extraordinary” in their communications with God! (ECWG) That should be everyone’s number one priority!

Father Duffy’s stress on “extraordinary” irked some of the Pastors under which he was employed. They would say “Ordinary communications worked fine for two thousand years. Who needs extraordinary?” But since Father Duffy never spoke his wacky words liturgically ( he was forbidden to by ecclesiastical law) the pastors didn't complain much. Duffy performed his duty. He presided at 7 Masses a week per his employment contract. Nothing more, nothing less. The Pastors Duffy worked for through the years gave him high marks in most departments. "He's a good priest they would say, but then reluctantly add but he's limited intellectually so...

The Poetry of Father Duffy

Normally the poetry of an individual is personal and very different from his public writings. Not so with Father Duffy. His volume of poetry entitled “Lavender Lollipops.” has a character and theology consistent with his Journals: a childlike, bordering on childish simplicity.  The Simplex theology that animates the poems is heavy-handed and proselytizing in nature. They are amateurish offshoots of his readings and their meter is clumsy and eccentric.
In his "Lavender Lollipops: The Poetry of Father Duffy"  there are approximately 500 poems written from 1976 to November 2017. I have culled a handful from that folio which I will publish periodically.