The Non Believers

A perfectly ordinary family: a father and mother with five wonderful children, living in the oh-so-charming Pittleburg. A small village where everyone knows everyone — an apt description. To an outsider, there may not seem to be much going on in Pittleburg, but the locals will tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. At the heart of Pittleburg stands the Pittleburg Church of Hope, a Roman Catholic church that the townspeople say watches over the whole village. The head of the family is also a highly respected resident, serving as the parish priest of this church. The family itself is admired by everyone—until last Sunday, when confusion erupted because the beloved priest’s children were absent from the Sunday service. Many called it a disgrace, but no one dared to point fingers openly and wisely kept silent in front of the priest. The priest himself was nowhere to be found after the service, and no one dared to imagine what might be happening behind the walls of the family home.