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 o'yer lads to take care of the matter?"

Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit and recognizing the

foreign accent, thought he would have a little fun with the good father and

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 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."