Wake Up Dead Man (Fr Scott Bailey): The Priest who Helped Hollywood Make a Murder Mystery Movie about the Church

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Books Network | Wake Up Dead Man (Fr Scott Bailey) – The Priest Who Helped Hollywood Make a Murder Mystery Movie About the Church

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Episode Overview

In this episode, host Chris Odiniec interviews Father Scott Bailey, vicar forane at the Archdiocese of Denver and consultant on Rian Johnson’s newest Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man. The conversation delves into Fr. Bailey’s behind-the-scenes role in shaping the film’s portrayal of Catholic faith and priestly life, the potential pitfalls and positive surprises of Hollywood’s treatment of the Church, and the film’s themes of mercy, accompaniment, and grace. The episode is equal parts movie criticism, personal reflection, and exploration of how art can foster authentic dialogue about faith.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. How Fr. Scott Bailey Got Involved With “Wake Up Dead Man”

• Personal Connection: Rian Johnson, the film’s director/writer, has family in Fr. Bailey’s parish. Johnson’s uncle, a parishioner, invited Fr. Bailey and several other priests to dinner with Johnson, who was preparing to write a murder mystery featuring two priests.

  “He [the uncle] said, ‘Hey, would you mind coming over for dinner sometime soon? We just found out that Rian is starting to work on Knives Out 3 ... it's going to be a murder mystery about two priests, and we figured maybe Rian should meet some priests because he doesn't know any.’”
  (Bailey, 01:34)

• Advising the Script: Fr. Bailey read the script, gave detailed feedback regarding accuracy and realism, then went on to consult throughout production—including set, costume, and actor coaching.

  “I emailed him back a whole ton of feedback. I was like, these are the most important things you've got to change in order for this to be believable. Then I had, like, a second category of things I really recommend to change ... then I just offered, you know, a handful of things that were just observations, small suggestions.”
  (Bailey, 14:02)

• Ongoing Consultation: He fielded questions on minutiae—like genuflecting during filming—and gave moral, spiritual, and practical context for actors and crew.

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2. The Film’s Nuanced Portrayal of Faith and the Church

• Chris’ Expectations vs. Reality: The host anticipates a secular “hatchet job” on the Church but is instead surprised by the film’s respectful, authentic debate between faith and atheism, embodied in Father Judd (Josh O’Connor) and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).

  “I was afraid that, like, it was going to be a Hollywood hatchet job on the Catholic Church. And I loved it because there is no strawman here ... they argue back and forth with great respect as they solve this mystery.”
  (Odiniec, 10:04)

• Priestly Authenticity: Fr. Judd’s character, according to Bailey and other priests, realistically embodies early priestly experiences, struggles, and priorities.

  “I haven't yet talked with a priest who didn't feel like it resonated in on some ways with, with their own experience.”
  (Bailey, 33:00, paraphrased in response to feedback)

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3. Four “Things the Movie Got Right” (from Bailey’s First Things article)

1. Early Experience of a Young Priest

• New priests make mistakes, feel naive, and struggle with being seen as inexperienced.

  “You're learning that people see you as kind of naive. You've just come out of seminary. You feel like you know everything, but you have no experience.”
  (Bailey, 21:54)

2. One-on-One Accompaniment

• Real ministry happens in private, personal moments, not just from the pulpit.

  “That one on one is so essential ... you can take this bigger message and apply it in a more intentional way and what's going on in their life.”
  (Bailey, 22:45)

3. The “Louise Moments”

• Inspired by Bailey’s stories, the script includes scenes where Fr. Judd ministers in mundane circumstances (e.g., a construction company worker’s distress call), demonstrating priestly presence in daily life.

  “For most priests, it's our favorite moment of the movie ... That moment kind of brought him back to why he's a priest ... It's a wonderful way of highlighting the day to day lived experience of what it is to be a priest in public.”
  (Bailey, 29:00-30:30)

4. Persistent Invitation & Dialogue

• The relationship between Father Judd and Blanc models ongoing invitation to faith, respectful debate, and a refusal to caricature either side.

  “Even though Judd knows exactly where Blanc is in terms of religion ... even at the end, Judd's like, I'm going to have my first Mass here as pastor. We'd love to have you come. I love that line. Blanc says, 'Well, there's nothing I would rather not do, but ...' But there's still warmth between them.”
  (Bailey, 34:19)

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4. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Atheism and Storytelling (Script Quotation)

  Blanc: “It’s like someone is shouting a story at me that I do not believe … filled with malevolence, misogyny, and homophobia … so, like an ornery mule kicking back, I want to pick it apart, pop its insidious bubble of lies and get to a truth I can swallow without choking.”
  Judd: “You're right. I guess the question is, do these stories convince us of a lie or do they resonate with something inside us that's profoundly true, that maybe we can't express any other way than storytelling?”
  (25:47)

• Josh O’Connor Connecting with the Role

  “[He] told me … that he’s never had the feeling before that God wanted him to play a role, but now he has a feeling that God wants him to do this.”
  (Bailey, 17:10)

• Father Judd on Priesthood’s Real Purpose

  “Christ didn't hide me or fix me. He loves me when I'm guilty. That's what I should be doing for these people, not this whodunit game ... My only purpose is not to fight the wicked and bring them to justice, but to serve them and bring them to Christ.”
  (Bailey quoting film, 37:46)

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5. Portrayal of “Bad” Catholics & Satire

• The film employs caricatures for certain antagonistic or tribal “Catholic” figures, aligning with the tradition of morality plays and Agatha Christie mysteries.

  “I've never met a priest like Monsignor Jefferson Wicks ... It does feel very much like a caricature to me ... I'm glad that it's a caricature. I would rather see that movie kill a caricature of a priest than kill a real priest.”
  (Bailey, 40:21-41:40)

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6. The Film’s Impact and Unexpected Depth

• The emotional climax brings together themes of sacramental grace, confession, and mercy, surprising many viewers (both Catholic and non-religious) with its authentic spiritual resonance.

  “So many … saying, I wish that I knew a Father Judd when I was growing up in the church. It resonated on a spiritual level and an emotional level they didn't expect ... this movie is the sneak attack of some really deep stuff.”
  (Bailey, 48:28)

• The final confession scene is viewed as the true “emotional punch,” with artistic choices made to heighten its impact.

  “Ryan told me that they … filmed it a couple of times with the absolution in the other confession scenes ... but they didn't like it because it felt like it was taking away from the power of the absolution at the end of the movie.”
  (Bailey, 50:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:34 – Fr. Bailey describes his invitation to consult for the film.
• 10:04 – Host discusses his initial expectation of anti-Catholic bias and surprise at the film’s nuance.
• 14:02 – Fr. Bailey explains script consultation and advising on Church details.
• 16:43 – On working with Josh O’Connor.
• 19:27 – Bailey’s “four things the movie got right.”
• 25:47 – Recitation of script dialogue on faith and atheism.
• 29:00 – “Louise moments” and their inspiration.
• 34:19 – The theme of persistent invitation and inter-worldview friendships.
• 40:21 – Caricature versus realism in portrayals of problematic Catholics in the film.
• 48:28 – Reactions from both religious and non-religious viewers.
• 50:57 – The “absolution” choice in filming confession scenes.

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Tone and Language

The conversation is intelligent, lively, warm, and marked by mutual respect. Fr. Bailey’s wit (“Very Funny—VF after my name!”), the host’s honest self-reflection on bias, and their enthusiasm for both cinematic craftsmanship and spiritual themes make for an engaging and approachable episode.

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Conclusion

This episode offers listeners a uniquely intimate glimpse behind Hollywood’s depiction of Catholicism and faith, guided by a real priest’s hand. It highlights how the film Wake Up Dead Man achieves authenticity, depth, and respect for faith traditions—making it not only a thoroughly enjoyable whodunit but a conversation starter for belief, doubt, and mercy. The episode is a must-listen for Catholics, faith-curious cinephiles, and anyone interested in the intersection of religion and modern storytelling.

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Notable Quote for Reflection:

“People are attracted by vulnerability and honesty ... this movie packs an emotional punch that I don't think is going to be expected. And it has some spiritual themes that I think are a surprise as well. In a way, this movie is the sneak attack of some really deep stuff.”
— Fr. Scott Bailey (39:06, 48:28)

Transcript

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[Father Scott Bailey]

C Store online for details welcome to the New Books Network. The uncle came into my sacristy. I'm getting ready for for Mass and he said, hey, would you mind coming over for dinner sometime soon? We just found out that Ryan is starting to work on knives out 3. He's in the middle of writing it and it's going to be a murder mystery about two priests, and we figured maybe Ryan should meet some priests because he's he doesn't know any.

[Narrator/Producer]

When filmmaker Rian Johnson started making Wake Up Dead man, the new Knives Out Mystery, a movie you can watch on Netflix, he needed some help from Father Scott Bailey, who became advisor to the project. And the project, if you ask me and others, has turned out not only entertaining but also important and beautiful.

[Father Scott Bailey]

It's been funny. I mean, especially when it first came out. I was getting a number of emails and people reaching out, priests reaching out to me from across the country, kind of sharing their feedback about the movie. And I haven't, I haven't yet met a priest who disliked the movie elements. Disliked. But I haven't yet talked to the priest who didn't feel like it resonated in on some ways with, with their own experience.

[Chris Odiniec]

That's tremendous. Hello and welcome to Almost Good Catholics. I'm your host, Chris Odiniec, and I get to ask interesting people interesting questions and they share their conclusions. And hopefully together we get to the truth with a capital T and have a really good time doing it. If you'd like to join the conversation, please email me at almost good catholicsmail.com today my guest is Father Scott Bailey. He is a vicar forayne at the Archdiocese of Denver. And the reason we're talking is because he was the consultant for the new Knives out movie on Netflix called Wake Up Deadman, which, which is about the Catholic Church and a very interesting film that I am excited to talk to him about and hear about the process. So welcome, Father Scott.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Hey, thanks a lot, Chris. Good to be here.

[Chris Odiniec]

I understand you have a silly joke to share with us.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yes. Two muffins are sitting in an oven and one muffin says the other one, oh, boy, it is hot in here. The other muffin says, oh, no, it's a talking muffin. Stupid joke. But boy, it makes me laugh every time.

[Chris Odiniec]

Well, you are a father, so you should be allowed to tell dad jokes.

[Father Scott Bailey]

All that's for sure, all day long. Preach jokes are some of the worst dad jokes out there.

[Chris Odiniec]

That's fair.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Light laugh yeah, yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

So what is a vicar forane? That's a new term.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Foreign is just, is it, you know, most, most places you would call it a dean. So I normally always say, I'm just a pastor. I'm a pastor of a parish in the south part of Denver. And then the diocese is broken up into different regions and then each region has a dean. If my understanding of the history of it is correct. I think it was St. Charles Borromeo who created kind of the vicar forane position because he couldn't get to all the regions of his diocese as a bishop in Milan. And so he appointed certain priests to basically be his representative. If he had something to kind of pass on to the other priests or even to let the other priests, if they had something to get to the bishop, they became kind of the go between. So I guess every bishop can use their deans however they wish. But that's kind of how it looks like in our area. So I'm. I'm the dean of our. One of the many deaneries in our diocese. So I get a little VF after my name with the vicar forane. Which first time someone asked me what it meant, I said it means very funny. I mean, it's an unusual thing. It's a temporary thing. I'll be a dean for a few years, and then it'll be passed on to somebody else.

[Chris Odiniec]

Does that mean you drive around a lot, visiting places?

[Father Scott Bailey]

So the. Thankfully, where I am, I don't have to do much travel. My diocese in. In Denver, we have parishes on. In around the city, kind of the metro area, we have parishes out on the plains where there's a lot of farmland and parishes up in the mountains. And the priest, the par. The dean in the mountains, I think he has something like 20 parishes in his deanery. And there can be hours of drive time from one parish to the other. So those guys spend a lot of time on Zoom for their monthly meetings to be with each other. But sometimes, yeah, the dean does have to go from place to place, like to do confirmations and that sort of thing.

[Chris Odiniec]

All right. And are you having a good time or are you looking forward to passing it on to the next fellow or a little.

[Father Scott Bailey]

One of the ways our bishop uses the deans is he has monthly conversations with us to talk about priest assignments. And so I actually do kind of enjoy that conversation because a bishop really could make the priest assignments out on his own. He doesn't have to consult anybody if he doesn't want to, but he chooses to have. There's like 13 of us in the room. He wants our feedback. We know the parishes, we know a lot of the priests, and we spend months in these monthly meetings just talking about where we see good fits, where we see the needs. And it's fun to see some of the most interesting meetings I'm at because the guys are really honest. The guys really care. And we're trying to do our best to make sure that the priests land in a good place for the parish. So it's kind of the same thing.

[Chris Odiniec]

That's such a big deal. It makes a big difference if it's the right priest for the right fit, given who's there and, you know, maybe what languages they speak or what their personality is like or who are the, you know, the stakeholders in a given spot and the character. So good for you. I realized this morning that it was exactly a year ago that Pope Francis went home and we chose another bishop of Rome. So, uh, and. And you're doing this on, you know, on a small level, but the one that affects most people most directly. So I think that's important.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

Speaking of priest assignments, let's talk about Wake up Dead Man, 2025

[Father Scott Bailey]

movie about extracurricular work.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah, well, so I. It's the Knives out movies are. Are these satirical whodunits, kind of drawing room mysteries in the style of Agatha Christie that you can see on Netflix. And Daniel Craig, the former James Bond as Benoit Blanc, is a colorful and fun detective, much like Peter Ustinov was Hercule Poirot when I was a little kid. And I used to love watching Peter Usinov as Hercule poirot. So there's three of them. First one came out in 2019. Second one came out in 2022, and the third one again three years later. It came out this year, so it was one every three years. They are a little polemical. They're a little kind of. I mean, you might disagree, but to my sensibilities, I feel like they're trying to take on entrenched powers. The first one, there's like this objectionable rich family who is self satisfied and privileged and annoying, and they have very little merit. But the likable character is the nurse who takes care of the old man who's an immigrant to the country whose mother is here illegally. And it's like, you know, young. How would you call it? Like, I can't think of the word. Like, she's a little naive.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, a little naive.

[Chris Odiniec]

Very sweet. The second one takes on these kind of annoying tech bros and influencers, and again, the sympathetic figures. The kindergarten teacher from Alabama or something like that, you know. And so when I started watching number three, I was like, oh, is the Catholic Church, the Holy Roman Church going to be on the same place as like, rich old privileged people or tech bros and influencers? And I got us a few minutes in to the very first confession scene between the young priest and the old priest. I was like, I can't watch this.

[Father Scott Bailey]

This is a pretty uncomfortable scene.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah, very uncomfortable. And so I went online to see, like, okay, I'm sure a lot of people have something to say. And everywhere I look they're like, this is a great movie about the Catholic Church. And then I found your name and, like, you were the consultants. I was like, okay, I'll try it. And then I watched the whole thing and I loved it. So if you make it past that first that first confession.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Just have to persevere a little bit.

[Chris Odiniec]

A little bit, yeah. And it was my own biases that were. You know, it was my own, I don't know, guardedness, something. Maybe I'm sensitive, but I was afraid that, like, it was going to be a Hollywood hatchet job on the Catholic Church. And I loved it because there is no strawman here in the way that I thought there were maybe in the other ones. And Benoit Blanc, the protagonist, he makes a really good, robust case for atheism, but our hero, Father Judd, makes a really good case for faith and for the church. And the two argue back and forth with great respect as they solve this mystery. So I think it's a really beautiful and also fun movie for this purpose. So what. How did you get into this? And so, first of all, thank you for doing it and making it. You know, it could have been bad, but.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Sure.

[Chris Odiniec]

Tell us the story.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah. So I have parishioners who are related to the director, who's also the writer, Ryan Johnson. So Ryan grew up out here in Denver. His grandparents are my parishioners. His aunts and uncle and cousins are my parishioners. And so I've known this for several years. And I've, you know, from a distance, probably for, I don't know, almost 20 years, I've watched Rian Johnson movies. I'm a fan of Brothers Bloom, and I saw Brick when I was in seminary. And I think Ryan directed my favorite episode of Breaking Bad. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that I kind of was aware of with Ryan over the years. But then I showed up at this parish several years ago, and I got to know his family. His aunt and uncle are more like just a couple years older than him. I mean, they basically become best friends over the years more than be treated as aunt and uncle. And then so I've gotten to know that family. Really beautiful, devout family. I think his aunt and uncle had seven kids. I think that's right. And I've enjoyed getting to know all of them. And so Ryan's come from. Although Ryan was not raised Catholic, um, he's come from a strong Christian family, many of them Catholic. And so he has a. An appreciation for it and. And especially since he's so close to his family here in my parish. So one day a few years ago, the uncle came into my sacristy. I'm getting ready for. For Mass, and he said, hey, would you mind coming over for dinner sometime soon? We just found out that Ryan is starting to work on knives. Out three. He's. He's in the middle of writing it, and it's going to be a murder mystery about two priests. And we figured maybe Ryan should meet some priests because he's. He doesn't know any. And so that sounds like kind of a fun evening. I would. I would enjoy it, too. And so they actually ended up inviting maybe five or six of us priests over for dinner. And this was, gosh, several years. Several months before they started filming. Maybe like six, eight months before they started filming. Script wasn't done yet. And we had such a fun evening. I mean, we talked everything. We. We talked philosophy and theology and politics and priestly ministry and the dynamics within the house, sometimes between a pastor and a parochial vicar. Ryan had so many questions for us, and it was good, too, that he kind of gave us an insight into some of the plot points and stuff that we could. Like, hey, you know. You know, if a priest kills a man in the ring when he's a young man, he's still going to need a dispensation from Rome in order to get ordained. Like, it's not like, that's an easy thing. Like. And so there's just, like, a number of, like, little things that we wanted to try to catch and kind of put on his radar as being inaccurate or inaccurate. And then he and I stayed in touch a little bit after that dinner. And then during Holy Week of what. What year was it? 2024, I think. That's right.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah.

[Father Scott Bailey]

During Holy Week of 2024, he.

[Chris Odiniec]

Exactly two years ago.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah. Right. Yeah, that's true. He reaches out to me and he says, hey, would you be willing to read the final script? I'd like to get your feedback on it before we go into production and we're beginning the casting process and all that. I said, yeah, this happens to be my busiest week of the year, so if you'll give me a few days, let me work my way through the script. And I'd never read a movie script all the way through before. It'd seen some stuff, I suppose, you know, but it. It took me forever to read that because I'm reading about descriptions of the different kind of sets and the shots and what props are going to look like and all sorts of, like, little details that I. I'm not used to seeing. I studied theater in college, so I'm used to maybe something of what a script looks like, but there's a bit different. So I start. I gave. I emailed him back a whole ton of feedback. I was like, these are the most important things you've got to change in order for this to be believable. Then I had, like, a second category of things I really rec to change things. But you could probably get away with it because Hollywood gets away with those things all the time around the Catholic faith. And then I just offered, you know, a handful of things that were just observations, small suggestions. And then he called me up to make sure he understood all of the points that I had given. And he asked me if I would be a consultant on the film. And so that day, he put me in touch with one of the producers who officially kind of got the ball rolling on that. And then the producers were the ones who were always putting me in touch with the set designer, the costume designer, the prop person. Set me up with some Zoom meetings with Josh o', Connor, who played Father Judd. They were always kind of the hinge making all the stuff happen. And if a question came up on set about genuflections that happened. One day I'm walking into Mass, and I get a phone call from the producer who's in a panic. They're in the middle of filming, and one of the cameraman or light guy said something about, hey, aren't they supposed to genuflex when they cross through the sanctuary? So he calls me up and says, what does that mean? So I had to explain what a genuflection is and when they happen. So there's a couple of moments where there are genuflections in the movie, especially with, you see Martha genuflect in the sanctuary. Like, oh, yeah, that's the fruit of that one conversation I had with the producer of the Panic. So it's fun for me. I've not seen the movie four times, I think, in different settings. And every time I'm like, oh, yeah, I had a conversation about that too. So, yeah, that's how I got involved. And that's kind of what my involvement looked like, and.

[Chris Odiniec]

Well, that's wonderful. Did you feel like I forgot the name? You just said the name of the actor who plays Father Judd?

[Father Scott Bailey]

Josh o'. Connor.

[Chris Odiniec]

Josh o'. Connor. Do you feel like he. You were able to tell him how to do that role A little bit or give him some advice? Because I. I find him, like, a very, very sweet character, very well played, I think.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, he was a very compelling, good priest. Yeah. It's funny. I do wonder. I mean, his job in those Zoom meetings, he says, was to interview me, was ask questions about how I approach stuff or how a priest, like, handles like political tensions within priestly life and then that sort. Like all sorts of things. Yeah. And we had really. I would say we had some really deep conversations. It wasn't just him interviewing me. Like, we got into some personal stuff on both sides. It was really beautiful. And I think. I mean, I've come to know Josh and I've stayed in touch with Josh, and I think Josh put a lot of himself in that role. I don't think it was all acting. He wasn't all pretending to be some priest. I've gotten to know Josh, and I think that a lot of him shines through in that as well. I think that's partly why we like the sweetness that we see in him. And in my conversation with Josh the first time, and we were talking about kind of how he got selected for this part and everything, and he said that as soon as he read the script, he was so touched by this character that he actually called up his parents and he said to them that he's never had the feeling before that God wanted him to play a role, but now he has a feeling that God wants him to do this. It was. He said it was kind of a weird shift for him because he's always just been kind of career driven. It's just whatever, you know, the next role was, you accept it, it makes sense. And this one made sense in a way for him that he had not experienced before. So that was kind of cool to hear him share. He grew up Catholic, so. And he shared that in some of his interviews. So I'm not, you know, surprising anybody with that. But, yeah, he's. So he's had some familiarity with being an ultra boy when he was a kid, and he has some experience of priests and parish life. And at least one of his parents is Catholic in practicing, so, you know, he's. He's around it enough, I think, that he could bring a lot of his own experience into it as well.

[Chris Odiniec]

That's lovely. That's lovely. Now, you wrote an article about your experience in First Things back in January, so a couple of months ago, and you said they got four things right. And the four things that you. That you put your finger on is the early experience of a young priest, the one on one accompaniment with parishioners, the Louise moments where Father Judd comforts a lady on the phone named Louise, and persistent invitation. Would you like to go through those four and tell us, you know, tell us a bit about it as. As having walked the walk in your own life and how. How they appear in the film? And what you liked, especially about it?

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, yeah, you know, part of. So I came up with this little list by partly by asking other priests about their experience of watching the movie. When the movie came out, I took about 60 of my parishioners to go see the movie. Those who I hoped wouldn't be too offended by the first 20 minutes of the movie, and then hold that over my head for the rest of my life. And I brought a number of priests with me as well. And it's been funny. I mean, especially when I first came out, I was getting a number of emails and people reaching out, priests reaching out to me from across the country, kind of sharing their feedback about the movie. And I had. Haven't. I haven't yet met a priest who disliked the movie. There might be little elements to be disliked, but I haven't yet talked with a priest who didn't feel like it resonated in on some ways with. With their own experience.

[Chris Odiniec]

That's tremendous.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah. And so I started asking, you know, some. Some of these priests, we just have these reflections on the movie. And so I kind of developed this kind of really with feedback. This isn't just all my opinion. I don't think so. Like, the early experience, that was actually a reflection that came about from that very first conversation that group of us priests had with Ryan Johnson and my parishioners here, because we were reflecting on, man, the missteps that some of us had when we were young priests and some of us who are pastors who have had parochial vicars, like, oh, man, that's so irritating. When the new guy shows up and he's got, like, fresh ideas, I'm going to fix things the way they've been done around here. And I don't think that it's usually done with any malice. Priests are generally wanting to be collaborative with each other, but there's still missteps along the way. And I've been a pastor now for eight years, and I'm sure that my parochi vicars over the years have seen my shortcomings and they probably wish that I would do things differently. And sometimes they share that with me. Sometimes they just try out new things, which is fine too. But I know that not every pastor parochi vicar relationship is always really smooth. Hopefully that first assignment's really smooth. Hopefully you get a pastor who really wants to have a young guy there so he can kind of learn the ropes and have a good first experience. But yeah, the, the early experience of priesthood can be a little bit bumpy. You're learning a lot of things. You're learning that people see you as kind of naive. You've just come out of seminary. You feel like you know everything, but you have no experience. And so, I mean, on my first parish, there were a lot of people who didn't want to call me Father. They said, here I am 27 years old, and I'm. Everyone said to me, oh, you're the age of my grandson. I'm just gonna call you Scott.

[Chris Odiniec]

Okay.

[Father Scott Bailey]

What am I gonna do? Like, I can't fight against that. Or they. They call you Padre instead of Father because somehow it feels like a nickname to them. So it was, you know, it was a way of still calling me Father without making. Really feeling like they were calling me Father. And so. And getting in. Sometimes people would also do these little. And try to get between you and the pastor. You know, they didn't. They don't like the way the pastor's doing something, so they try to get the pro convictor on their side so that they can go back to the pastor and say, well, you know, Father so and so agrees with that with us, that kind of stuff. And so, you know, there's just. We see little hints of that, I think, in this movie. Kind of the. The missteps of Father Judd as he's kind of trying to figure it all out. We can all see he has a really good heart, but he's not exactly resonating with his parishioners in the beginning, for various reasons, but at least that's part of it.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah.

[Father Scott Bailey]

And then I also reflected a bit on the. The one on one accompaniment that I think Father Judd does a really good job. And in the early part of the movie, part of that's necessary for the exposition piece of the story. You get. You need to get to know all the suspects, and you get. You get to know Father Judd along the way. And so he's just really trying to spend time with each person, and they're not very likable. Most of his prisoners are not likable people. And yet he's trying to find ways of connecting and listening. And it's such an important piece. That word accompaniment was something that Pope Francis really popularized. And I still hear bishops and priests continually use that word accompaniment. You know, our ministry. I think sometimes people think of it as only what happens at Sunday Mass. Like, it's just about the preaching, and it's just about Mass and confessions, maybe, but that one on one is so essential. A homily. I preach a homily. To a crowd of hundreds of people. And some people are going to love it. Some people are, it's going to be over their heads or they're not going to care, or they were thinking about what they're having for lunch instead of my humdi, whatever. It's not going to hit everybody in the same way. But when you, when you kind of pair that up with talking with people one on one, getting to know their hearts, what's going on in their life, then you can take this, maybe this bigger message and apply it in a more intentional way and what's going on in their life. And so that's what's kind of what's beautiful with Father Judd early on in the movie. He's really good at just being with people where they are. We even see that with the detective, with Manoir Blanc, the first worst encounter they have. I mean, Father Judd's not even like trying to be a priest. He's just being himself. And he, he beautifully matches Blanc exactly where he is. He receives them really well. He offers a counterpoint to Blanc's kind of atheist points, which we'll probably get into in this conversation. But I think that he meets him really well where he is.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah, I'll, I'll read that. I have that right here.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

So Father Judd asks Blanc, how does it make you feel? And Blanc says, well, the architecture interests me. I feel the grandeur, the mystery, the intended emotional effect. And it's like someone is shouting a story at me that I do not believe that's built on the empty promise of a child's fairy tale filled with malevolence, misogyny and homophobia. And that's justified untold violence and cruelty while hiding its own shameful acts. So, like an ornery mule kicking back, I want to pick it apart, pop its insidious bubble of lies and get to a truth I can swallow without choking the rafter. Details are nice, though. And then Father Judd says, you're right, it's storytelling. The church, it isn't medieval. We're in New York. It's Neo Gothic, 19th century. It has more in common with Disneyland and Notre Dame and the rites and rituals, the costumes, all of it storytelling. You're right. I guess the question is, do these stories convince us of a lie or do they resonate with something inside us that's profoundly true, that maybe we can't express any other way than storytelling?

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah. If I remember correctly, Josh o', Connor, in one of his interviews, he did a side by side interview with Rian Johnson. I Think that's the speech. He loved it so much, he cut it out of his script and he framed it and he's hung it up at his house.

[Chris Odiniec]

Oh, wow.

[Father Scott Bailey]

By Father Judd's response and just the clarity and the patience. And he doesn't, you know, he doesn't tear down Benoit Blanc. He meets him where he is. Like, he uses even the analogy in a way of the. The story that Blanc started with, and he. He develops it. And there's a phrase I remember, there's a priest. I know, I went to seminary with him. But he used to use this phrase about evangelization. I want to go in your door and take you out my door. Like that. That's his method for Avengers. Like Meet the Like. If. If a person's willing to open the door to you, like, go in that door. And if that. That door happens to be a movie or whatever, the conversation might be around, like, find that common point where you can have the conversation and it's. It's friendly and it's kind. But if you're trying to evangelize, you do have an intention here. You do want to kind of lead them in a different direction. So my goal ultimately is also take you out my door. Yeah. And so we see Judd do that in a really beautiful way in that moment. So just. He's really good at one on one accompaniment, I think. Yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

And in praise of Ryan Johnson, like, this script is available on his website online. I just googled it and I found a lot of his scripts. So you can download it and read it for free. I'll put the link below. It's. And it's just, it's. I also have never read a movie script. And it's really neat to. To read it like a. Like a story and just see. And just see how these things are written too. You know, the details they put in, the details they leave out.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, absolutely. So if I were the directional script I haven't read. I haven't read the script since the original draft. I'd be interested to look at those side by side.

[Chris Odiniec]

Do people come to make office hours appointments with you or do you just happen upon them at the grocery store? How does one on one accompaniment work itself out?

[Father Scott Bailey]

Both. I have a lot of one on one appointments with people. Um, I think my parishioners know that I'm pretty available. And so. And I'm. I'm pretty loose with taking appointments. Um, so yeah, I. My calendar is pretty booked with a lot of back to back appointments with people, some of them regulars Some of them just one time. But if people know that they can come to me and talk, that's nice. Um, I do try to make connections with other people. Like at the grocery store is a good example. Um, there are. I. There's. I live right between two grocery stores, both of them really walking distance, but I prefer one because I know most of the stuff. It feels like. It's like I have good conversations every time I go to the grocery store with different employees that I have come to know in small ways. Yeah, maybe the conversation. Just not a terribly long one. Sometimes it has been a really long one. Standing at the onions. But, you know, just kind of, if. If the person knows that I'm available and interested in talking, then it's amazing the things that people will share. So. And actually, that kind of leads me to the third point, the Louise moments. Because Ryan was sharing, and he said this in a few of his interviews, because people. A lot of people have commented on that phone conversation that he had that Father Judd has with Louise, the woman who works at the construction company. Lots of people have comments on it. And for most priests, it's our favorite moment of the movie. And Ryan says that that was not originally in the script, but that day he had with us priests, that first night was what inspired him to put that in there. Because part of our conversation, he was just so surprised that even when we're not in our caller or something, if we go in public, we're going to be stopped by somebody and have a conversation with somebody. And so he just. I think the example was he was just struck by how many conversations we're having in the grocery store while trying to buy grapefruit. I think that's how he phrased it. Um, and so. And it's. There's a lot of truth in that. It's always in airports. It's always when I'm getting a haircut, sitting in an Uber, I have so many conversations with people because maybe they're curious, but it's amazing how it can take a twist sometimes when they want your prayers or they want to go to confession or they want some advice on something. And so in the scene you've got, Father Judd has called the construction company to ask a question. And, you know, the lady's just super talkative. And before you know it, she's practically in tears as she's saying, look, I. You know, I need you to pray for me. And she kind of shares this encounter she had with her mom. And like, the. A lot of the movie, I Would say, like the emotional. This is an emotional beat. There's something that changes right there. And actually it actually kind of changes the story there for Judd because at that. Until that point, Father Judd has been trying to solve the mystery with Blanc and he's been caught up in this whole mystery. But that moment kind of brought him back to why he's a priest. And he completely connected with it. He closes the door literally on Blanc to go be in the other room and have this private conversation. And he just listens to her and he prays with her. And so I've actually started to nickname those moments because those have moments happen up with us priests. I started to name them Louise moments in my own life. Like, yep, I was on my way to go do something else, and I had another Louise moment. It's really beautiful. It's a. It's a wonderful kind of high way of highlighting the day to day lived experience of what it is to be a priest in public. Yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

And the movie does it very well because you can see that the detective Blanc is very bored. And he's waiting and waiting, and he's not bored. He's. He's eager to get back on the case. But it gets dark. So it starts off, the sun is up. By the time he's done with his phone call has been twilight already. So you don't know if it's been a half hour, an hour, an hour and a half that he's been on the phone with this lady. But it's been a while. And the movie does that really well.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah. And. And I'm amazed, too, that Blanc respects Judd enough to let Judd take that call. He doesn't like. Yeah, he tries in the beginning, like, get him off the phone, like, we got something to do here. But I think that there's a change even in Blanc by the end of that call. Phone call. That Blanc appreciates that what Judd is doing is actually important, which will be kind of important for kind of Blanc's story if you. If you give him a story arc. By the end of this story, Blanc has had a little bit of a change. He's actually been influenced by Father Judd's example. And that was one of the key moments, I think, for him to see the way that he encounters other people and cares about them and listens. Yeah. It's really beautiful. Yeah. And there's a couple of moments.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Father Scott Bailey]

No, no, please, please.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah, I was just gonna say there's a few moments where Rian Johnson, whenever the name of God is Being invoked or something just a level down is happening. The sun might come out through a stained glass window here and there. So you sort of feel the spirit.

[Father Scott Bailey]

It's.

[Chris Odiniec]

You know, Terrence Malick movies are like this. They're full of the Holy Spirit, where the wind is in the trees and things like that. And I. I got that message from the director a few times, and I think Benoit Blanc, who's, you know, very skeptical and, you know, a materialist, atheist kind of guy, but, you know, he's super smart, and I think those things are not lost on him. At least I assume they're not as the viewer.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. And. And I love. I mean, just. You want. The way you're describing that, the way the cinematography, the way that they, you know, staged all of that, and the. It was just really beautifully done. They filmed all the outdoor scenes of the church at a real church in England, and then they built the. The set of the inside of the church on a stage. That way they can control the lighting and do that sort of thing with it because they. They really did want to be intentional about kind of adding that sense that the spirit is present in certain conversations here and in certain moments. Yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

And I also think the woods feels kind of like a green cathedral. There is something about those alleyways in the trees that feels like a nave with pillars on the side. And I've seen that occasionally, but, you know, not in a very wild place, but maybe in some little. A wood that's more planted or organized. I'm not sure how they did it, but it feels that way.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, I think you're right. I had not made that connection, but I think you're right. Yeah. They've gone from one church to another church when they've gone from the inside to the outside. That's really interesting.

[Chris Odiniec]

And your fourth thing is the last

[Father Scott Bailey]

point I think I made in that.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah.

[Father Scott Bailey]

In that article was I was just talking about the persistent invitation that Judd makes to Blanc. He's not pushy about it, but, you know, by the end of the film, it's clear that they've developed a respect for each other. They may have a. I don't think they ever really had a intense tension between the two of them. There was always some level, basic level of respect there. But they both appreciate what the other one brings to the table. And even though Judd knows exactly where Blanc is in terms of religion and probably knows that he's not going to come around right now, even at the end, Judd's like, I'm Going to have my first Mass here as pastor. We'd love to have you come. I love that line. Blanc says, well, there's nothing I would rather not do, but. But there's still kind of this. There's warmth between them. And as I've watched this over and over now, I've decided that this isn't really about the murder. This isn't a murder mystery. It is a murder mystery, but that was the context. The actual story here is about the. The friendship developing between these two characters who are so drastically different from one another. And Rian Johnson has shared in a couple of his interviews that that's the world that he wants to live in. He wants to see a world where people with opposing views can still care about each other and have a respect and an affection, even for one another. So the. The relationship he built between those two who maybe don't completely change the other's minds, but they now have made room for each other in their hearts. That. That's the world that Ryan was trying to. Proposed to us as the audience as worth being built.

[Chris Odiniec]

Well, and sometimes maybe, you know, these things take time. The seed has been planted, and now let. Let it work. Let it work. And who knows what, you know, will happen in Benoit Blanc's life.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Absolutely.

[Chris Odiniec]

Thanks.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah.

[Chris Odiniec]

No, I think that is one thing we all need is a little more grace and tolerance and interest in people with whom we disagree. You know, we've. It's a sort of a tribal moment. Everybody says this, that we. We become more polarized as a society. There's way fewer, you know, elected representatives who collaborate with their, you know, opponent people, opposing parties in a way that they used to. And when we were children, it was very normal, and now it's less so. And same thing with all the social media stuff that sort of funnels you into an echo chamber that you only hear the things you already agree with, or if you see an opposing viewpoint, you're sort of vilifying it or whatever, but not here. And that humility is so. Father Judd has this backstory where he killed a man as a boxer. And he says this at about an hour and a half into the film when they're in the woods and it's raining, he says, I killed the guy killed in the ring. I hated him. I remember I knew he was in trouble, and I kept going until I felt him break. It wasn't an accident. I killed him with hate in my heart. There's no hiding from that, and there's no solving it. Christ didn't Hide me or fix me. He loves me when I'm guilty. That's what I should be doing for these people, not this whodunit game. And he says. And Blanc says, a game.

[Narrator/Producer]

Excuse me.

[Chris Odiniec]

Look at me when I'm talking to you. We're looking for a murderer. This is not a game. And Judd says, it is a game. Solving it, winning it, getting your big checkmate moment. And by using me in it, you're setting me against my real purpose and only purpose, which is not to fight the wicked and bring them to justice, but to serve them and bring them to Christ. Otherwise. Otherwise, I'm as bad as Wicks making it about me and not Jesus. You don't need to understand. Just please, please, please, please, please let me be. Which is.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Which is, I have to say, I love how much he preaches Jesus. I mean, there are Christian films that do a worse job of talking about the importance of Jesus. Like, this is a priest who speaks with conviction about his own vocation, about the necessity of Jesus Christ. It's really beautiful to listen to over and over again in that movie.

[Chris Odiniec]

And he's coming at us from a position of humility and weakness. And, you know, he's the first to speak about his own sins and failures. And I think that's extremely attractive to. Because the last thing we want to do is be approached by somebody who's telling us how holy they are, how correct they are about everything. And I am the one with all the problems, and they're going to fix me. That's terrible. That's not going to work. That's not going to attract anyone into the church.

[Father Scott Bailey]

No, it doesn't work at all. Yeah. People are attracted by vulnerability and honesty.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah. And things we all share. Right. And there is no. We're not going to be fixed. I mean, we might live better, cleaner, more satisfying lives, but we're not going to, especially not through our own volition and willpower. Stop being sinful creatures. That's what I love about smoothie. Yeah. So on the other hand, the weird parishioners that give him so much trouble are kind of the tribal, Catholic, traditional sort of. They have the right. Not that they want things in Latin and so on, but they are. Have, like, our way or the highway. And the world is evil, and we in the church are good and we have to fight the world. And that comes out through the older priests who. I think there's no surprise here that he's the one who's murdered, and we have to figure out who murdered him. I live In Berkeley, California. I do not see these kind of Catholics, but I do see them online and I have friends who are. Who are like this. Do you have. Do you have a combative streak of Catholicism in Denver?

[Father Scott Bailey]

I'm sure there are. But, you know, even when I look at this film, I mean, I've never met a priest like my senior, Jefferson Lakes. I'm not sure there was a priest like out there quite like him. Maybe some who espouse similar views on certain things. But to be as vindictive and angry about it. And I don't want to tear down other people. I mean, I just. I find it hard to believe, first of all from a breeze. But I also, I. It does feel very much like a caricature to me of. It's. It's interesting too. Someone. Remember someone commented on one of my YouTube videos about the movie that he was the only concern. Wicks is the only conservative priest not interested in Latin. No, no. Interesting way of like pointing out that they, at least in their opinion that those two things were very attached to each other. To have strong conservative values must mean in the Catholic world that you're kind of attached to some Latin expression of the liturgy. And there may be some overlap there for sure, but that's may partly be a sign that Ryan was. But in the know on some of, you know, like, that's kind of like inside baseball when it comes to Catholicism. Not a lot of people looking on from the outside would even know that that's a lived tension right now in the church. But it does feel like a caricature, and I'm glad that it's a caricature. In a way, I would rather see that movie kill a caricature of a priest than kill a real priest. There's nothing about him that feels very real to me. I kind of appreciate that. It feels a little bit like a fantasy world. Even. The parish is named Our lady of Perpetual Fortitude. That is not a title. That's not a title of Our Lady. So it's kind of helpful that it's in this fake world. Yeah. And. And maybe by creating this straw man, this. If Wix is the straw man, he's the caricature. And his cronies, whoever those people are who are around him, maybe borrowing some ideas from other, you know, real thinkers or real people today. But I don't think any of them felt very grounded or real. And I. I think that that's helpful. It's. It's a similar thing. And maybe glass onion twos might be the more obvious one. Like, you see a lot of similar caricatures of people. They're not really well fleshed out. You don't. You know, you only see kind of one side of their personality or. You seem really extreme.

[Chris Odiniec]

I thought so, too. I think that the YouTuber Psy who returns, who's the sort of the son figure. He. He is the tattooed man, Duke from number two, where he's trying to be this masculine hyper conservative. He has this little tirade where he says, I tried everything, believe me. I hammered the race thing. I hammered the gender thing, the trans thing, the border thing, the homeless thing, the war thing, the election thing, the abortion thing, the climate thing, the thing about induction, stoves, Israel, library, books, vaccines, pronouns, AK47, socialism, BLM, CRT, CDC 5G. All of it. I did all of it. Nobody, just nothing. People are numb these days. I don't know why. And it's just a joke. Like, his whole character is a joke on. He's. In a way, you know, I think

[Father Scott Bailey]

about the history of theater. I studied theater in college.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah.

[Father Scott Bailey]

You look at the old morality plays that you would have found in the church, Middle Ages, Renaissance time, and every character of those stories was an extreme. But it helped to make a moral point. So at least helps to make the. The. The virtue you're trying to highlight more obvious when you make the evil ridiculously evil. And so maybe that is kind of part of the value of having such ridiculous characters who are a little bit on. On the unbelievable side, it's kind of fun to be caught up into the fantasy of that. And thank God we don't know any people who are exactly like Munsinger's Jefferson Wicks. But by having a character who's a bit more extreme, it helps to highlight the real, true virtues of Father Judd in a really positive way.

[Chris Odiniec]

You're absolutely right. And Agatha Christie did the same thing. When you kill people in Murder on the Nile or the the and Then There Were none, it's always like the least likable person is killed and everyone had a good reason. Murder on the Orient Express is another one. Like, everyone had a reason and everyone is a silly version of, you know, a personification of a vice, perhaps.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's just easier to kill the caricature than it is to kill the real person. So. Yeah, I. I think that. Yeah, but you're right. That is all over Agatha Christie novels and it's. I read a lot of murder mysteries. It's over a lot of murder mysteries as well. It's usually more like the thrillers where it's. It's less about trying to solve the mystery of who did it. It's more about, I don't know, it's very personal. It was the. It was the spouse that did it. Okay. In that case, it might feel very realistic. But I think in the, in the typical detective type novels and stories, they do tend to be more on the caricature side of things. So I think it would have to

[Chris Odiniec]

be because murder is so terrible, it had. You have to make it a two dimensional cartoon version of it. Almost like an action movie where you're running around shooting bad guys. That's okay. They're all bad guys. Right. But if you, if you had a story where a guy had a gun and started killing normal people, that'd be. That would be a very dark story suddenly, right?

[Quince Brand Representative]

Yeah.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Yep. Well, I think in this movie they did ground.

[Chris Odiniec]

Oh, go ahead. No, I just.

[Father Scott Bailey]

I think in this movie they did ground wicks at least a little bit with some of the backstory. To see this poor kid, you know, when we have flashbacks to his mother who was. Had her own instabilities and sadness and you know, being raised in the rectory, which was already kind of a strange situation because his grandpa was a widowed priest. And there's just. There's some. There's an unusual elements there, like man, that stuff certainly would kind of play into the. The psychology of this man as he grows up. But I don't think we needed to humanize him too much if we're going to kill him too soon. Like he needed to be the bad guy so that you gave everybody plenty of motive to want him dead. So it works for the sake of the plot.

[Chris Odiniec]

I think that's true. And of his followers, some of them, especially Martha, grow a lot in the, in the, you know, two hours. And some of them persist in, in their. Whatever their ways, to their own. To their own loss by the end.

[Father Scott Bailey]

I think when we see the big, the, the conversation, when you hear the, the reveal that Sai is Wick's son and they're kind of all gathered together in the rectory there and you kind of see most, you know, they, they take their sides. That's in their moment when they take their sides. You've got the, the lawyer lady who is like cutting ties. She couldn't care less. She wants to see how they're all gonna respond to this. And if they're just gonna keep going back to him. And then you got the guys like, oh, what is truth? I mean, you look at the, like, just kind of like, we're just gonna accept this because we, we believe in you and just the ridiculousness of all of that, but they're kind of forced to choose their, their sides in that moment.

[Chris Odiniec]

Well, that, that to me feels like a commentary on our current political situation because I can think of a guy who keeps changing his mind about stuff and people keep supporting him no matter what he says. And I think that's what you're seeing in, in that speech, plus quoting Pontius Pilate.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Oh, sure.

[Chris Odiniec]

Yeah. Well, I want to thank you so much for being my guest and especially for your work on this film, which at first I didn't like at all and now I love. And I think it's a big contribution. I think it's a big contribution and I look, I hope lots of people see and I look forward to having conversations with people about Catholicism, you know, at parties and wherever based on, based on this movie. So.

[Father Scott Bailey]

And I have to say that's been, you know, I, in addition to priests from across the country reaching out to me to say that they watched the movie and they liked it, I had posted a video or two about the video about the movie on our parish YouTube channel. And it was interesting watching lots of people who are not believers in anything maybe form, maybe formerly Catholic or anti Catholic historically, or they're atheists or whatever, reaching out to thank me for my involvement and then just to share what it is that really move them about the, the movie. And so many of them saying, I wish that I knew a Father Judd when I was growing up in, in the church. And so I think that for many people, it resonated on a spiritual level and an emotional level they didn't expect. And I think that that's one of the things I'm maybe proudest about with the way that this movie turned out. I think people are going to go expecting to be entertained the way that we normally are entertained by murder mysteries. We enjoy solving the crime, we enjoy all of the finding the clues and all that stuff. But this movie packs an emotional punch that I don't think is going to be expected. And it has some spiritual themes that I think are surprised as well. And so that's the thing. I'm, I'm like, I feel like it was a sneak attack in terms of like the deeper themes that you just don't find typically. And to have a message of mercy ultimately the very end when the murderer is finally being revealed and all that, that it's not just, yeah, down with the murderer, he's finally going to get what he deserves, which is usually the ending of every murder mystery, to have that coupled with a sacramental grace of confession. There's such a beautiful celebration of the sacraments, the priesthood, what faith should be, God's mercy. There's so much packed into that moment. So in a way, this, this movie is the snake attack of some really deep stuff. And I, I, that's the thing I'm hoping is it's going to really bear fruit for a lot of people. I'm thinking they're going to go into it expecting one thing and walk out thinking about new stuff, feeling new things, maybe even exploring a relationship with God again. That's my hope.

[Chris Odiniec]

Amen. Amen. I think you're right. And that last confession is actually the only one that has the absolution in it. That was one of the problems I had with the first confession. There was no I absolve you in the name of the Father.

[Father Scott Bailey]

Ryan told me that they rehearsed, they actually filmed it a couple of times with the absolution in the other confession scenes and, but they didn't like it because it felt like it was taking away from the power of the absolution at the end of the movie. And so they ended up just kind of cutting it short. And in a way, I mean, you find out later that Wix was faking those confessions all along. He was confessing things that weren't even his sins, which. Great. You got a priest who's making a sacrilege of confession. Come on. Like already not believable. So I'm kind of glad there was an absolution for him if he's going to be making fake confessions to begin with. But yeah, yeah, but he at least knew that they should be doing absolution all the time. He just made the artistic choice not to.

[Chris Odiniec]

Fair enough. Well, it's been a great pleasure speaking with you and meeting you and thank you again. Would you like to close us in a prayer?

[Father Scott Bailey]

Sure, absolutely. Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we praise you for the gift of this day. We ask that you would bless us, draw us closer to you, and give us all the graces we need to do your will. We ask all of this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Chris Odiniec]

Amen. Nails spear shall pierce him through the cross. Be born for me.

[Father Scott Bailey]

For you. And hail.

[Chris Odiniec]

Hail the word made flesh.

[Father Scott Bailey]

The Babe, the son of Mary.

[Narrator/Producer]

Chris Odiniez and Father Scott Bailey recorded this conversation. Episode 114 on Easter Monday, April 6, 2026. It's also the feast day of St. Juliana de Liege, a 13th century mystic whose visions helped the church establish the

[Chris Odiniec]

Feast of Corpus Christi.

[Narrator/Producer]

Our music is from Josh and Margot of the Great Space Coaster Band. Check them out at www.G. and our logo, the image of the dog is taken from the Dominican Friars of England, Scotland and Wales from their website at www.english.op.org. i'm Chris Odiniec. Thank you so much for listening. Email me with any questions or comments. Almost good catholicsmail.com God bless you and your family. Talk to you next time on Almost Good Catholics.

[Father Scott Bailey]

This this is Christ the King whom shepherds God and angels.