An Irish priest was transferred to Texas.<>
Father O’Malley rose from his bed one morning.<>
It was a fine spring day in his new west Texas mission parish.<>
He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside.<>
He then noticed there was a jackass lying dead in the middle of his front lawn.<>
He promptly called the local police station.<>
The conversation went like this:<>
“Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones. How might I help you?”<>
“And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O’Malley at St. Ann’s Catholic Church. There’s a jackass lying dead in me front lawn and would ye be so kind as to send a couple of o’yer lads to take care of the matter?”<>
Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit and recognizing the foreign accent, though he would have a little fun with the good father, replied,<>
“Well now Father, it was always my impression that you people took care of the last rites!”<>
There was dead silence on the line for a long moment..<>
Father O’Malley then replied:<>
“Aye, ’tis certainly true; but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin first, which is the reason for me call.”<>