Mrs Davenport, his housekeeper, turned down his generous offer. She had no need of another radio in her home.
He asked a few parishioners whom he knew were too poor to own a radio but they said they didn’t need one.
So he put a little notice in the weekly Church Newsletter and … three weeks later, there were still no takers for this free radio seeking a good home with someone, somewhere.
On a sunny summer afternoon Father Ignatius put a small table at the end of the church’s car park, just by the gate, on the sidewalk. On the table he placed the old radio and a sign which read: “This radio is yours for FREE. Help yourself.”
He then went to his office on the first floor of Parish House and got on with some work. Every so often he looked out of the window and there, on the table, was the poor radio waiting to be taken away.
A few passers-by stopped, looked at the radio, some picked it up to see if it was broken, then they placed it back on the table and walked away.
An hour later and the radio was still there even though some fifty people must have passed by.
“Perhaps people can’t believe such a beautiful item is given away free!” thought the priest.
So he went out to the table, took away the notice and put another one saying: “Radio for sale. Only £10. Please call at the Parish House to pay.”
He thought to himself as he went back to his office, “If anyone offers to buy it I’ll give it to them for free!”
Moments later he looked out of the window and the radio was still there. Some people picked it up, examined it for a while, and then put it back again on the table and left.
The priest was about to give up when he noticed two youngsters approach the table.
“They look interested!” he thought.
They picked up the radio, examined it carefully, looked around to see if anyone was watching them, then ran away with the radio in hand.
Father Ignatius turned back into his office and looked at the large Crucifix hanging on the wall and said: “I don’t know about You … but sometimes I despair with the human race!”
