How a Beheaded Priest Walked Miles Still Preaching

 

Father Dennis was a Roman Catholic clergyman, and he used to come to preach in the square in Paris, near Dresden's Castle.

One day, a man walked up to him and said, "Don’t come here to preach again. We don’t want to see you around here. Don’t come and talk about the Bible here." But Father Dennis wouldn’t listen.

The last time Father Dennis preached in that square, the man arrived with a knife. He sat to one side of the square, sharpening the knife while Father Dennis was preaching. The noise from the sharpener caught Father Dennis’ attention several times. He would glance at the man, and the man would glance back and say, “You will soon hear from me.” Then he continued sharpening.

He sharpened the knife so well that he didn’t want to strike twice.

The man went to Father Dennis and said, “We told you not to come here and preach, but you refused.” Then—wham!—with one swing, Father Dennis’ head dropped to the ground.

But Father Dennis picked up his own head in his hands, and the head continued preaching, saying, “I’ve not finished talking.” The man, shocked, dropped his knife and ran away.

Father Dennis walked for miles, still holding his head in his hands as it continued preaching, until the blood in his body completely drained. Then he collapsed and died, with his head still in his hands.

If you go to Paris today and ask about "The Blood Street," they’ll point you to that road—the road stained by the blood of Father Dennis until he died. At the exact spot where he collapsed, the Roman Catholic Church built a cathedral and placed a sculpture of Father Dennis in front of it, with his head in his hands.