# Father Pelc and his Holy Water Gun **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300 "2020-05-22T17:11:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/1 "2020-05-22T17:11:56Z")
I can’t believe no one’s brought this up yet: > **[Priest Goes Viral After Using Squirt Gun Full Of Holy Water To Bless People](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/priest-water-gun-meme-coronavirus_n_5ec2a12fc5b61f5478d1c1f5)** > > Father Tim Pelc’s creative solution to social distancing has inspired memes and a Photoshop battle his Michigan church called “pretty clever.” > [@](#): > > Five weeks ago, Father Tim Pelc of St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in Detroit was trying to figure out how to maintain social distancing during Holy Week amid the coronavirus pandemic. > > … > > “I thought, what could I do that would keep the quarantine restrictions going and give kids the experience of Easter?” he told “Today.” > > Pelc eventually landed on the idea of doing a truly whimsical drive-thru for the holiday. Churchgoers could pull up in their cars and he’d bless their Easter baskets with a water gun from the safe distance of a curb. I love it. It’s a creative theological solution to a prctical problem. I don’t find it in any way demeaning or disrespectful, but then, I’m of a leient nature. As the above links show, this has provided lots of fodder for twitter. Although, I have to admit, what I first thought of when I saw this was the Weapons Scene from **From Dusk 'til Dawn** : [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YZpKbJ48Oe8/maxresdefault.jpg "From Dusk Till Dawn - Weapons Scene") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZpKbJ48Oe8) ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/2 "2020-05-23T03:58:43Z")
I thought it fantastic =) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/3 "2020-05-23T04:44:55Z")
I, too, thought that was a creative and practical solution. And the picture is really funny. Not demeaning, not disrespectful… but amusing. I’m glad he is still caring for his flock. And I bet they are, too. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/4 "2020-05-23T06:01:33Z")
Unlike far too many “spiritual leaders” he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously or is too hidebound by traditions. I approve. That, and five bucks, will get you a coffee at Starbucks. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/5 "2020-05-23T08:21:45Z")
My first thought was the legend of [Feng Yu-Xiang](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_Yuxiang) There is also this (shades of Father Ted): [https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-05/covid-19-dublin-priest-hears-confessions-in-church-car-park.html](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-05/covid-19-dublin-priest-hears-confessions-in-church-car-park.html) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/6 "2020-05-23T13:22:05Z")
Cute, creative and kinda sad at the same time. Why people need this type of affirmation is still baffling to me. It would make a great Monte Python sketch though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/7 "2020-05-23T16:28:42Z")
I’ll be honest; I was not aware that it’s customary to have one’s priest bless one’s Easter basket. But if that’s what people wanted, he found a safe way to do so (assuming the water is clean). ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/8 "2020-05-23T18:52:09Z")
I had assumed he was blessing the people, not their baskets. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/9 "2020-05-23T18:57:24Z")
The quote in the OP says, “he’d bless their Easter baskets with a water gun from the safe distance of a curb.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/10 "2020-05-23T19:04:56Z")
The article is a little confusing. It does say that, but is also says “Priest Goes Viral After Using Squirt Gun Full Of Holy Water To Bless Churchgoers” and “A Roman Catholic priest from Michigan has blessed the internet with some hilarious memes after photos of him using a squirt gun to spray parishioners with holy water went viral.” My guess is he sprayed whatever the parishioners wanted him to spray. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/father-pelc-and-his-holy-water-gun/854300/11 "2020-05-23T19:32:41Z")
I’d use balloons.