23. Callahan's Church

Out of all of the characters, Stephen King did a great job when he decided to create Father Callahan's presence in the novel. This is the first vampire fiction that I have read where a priest gets twisted in with the plot as much as Father Callahan did. Not only did Stephen King question Father Callahan's beliefs, but he questioned the belief of the Catholic Church through Father Callahan.

I really liked the part in the novel where Matt Burke was asking for Father Callahan's help and Father Callahan replied with the following:

pg.328

"I may be a poor excuse for a priest - at times I've thought so - a bit jaded, a bit cynical, and just lately suffering a crisis of...what? faith? identity?...but I still believe enough in the awesome, mystical, and apotheotic power of the church which stand behind me to tremble a bit at the thought of accepting your request lightly."

That statement was such a powerful statement for a priest to make and it really brought the situation to life. At that moment I really felt for Father Callahan because of the pressure put on him. If anyone was going to use the Force of the church, it was going to be Father Callahan...and that was a big responsiblity to carry on one's shoulders. But in the end, I think that Matt Burke was speaking to the whole town when he said, "On the contrary, I think it's your chance to put your church - your church - to the test." It meant that it was time for Father Callahan, along with Ben Mears and Mark Petrie to put their faith to the test and trust that everything would happen the way their God planned it.