Father Thomas, a traditional Catholic priest with a special interest in holy relics, tasks young, chronically-online deacon Chet with a mission: prove that a young woman in their congregation is worthy of Sainthood. Sure, Joanie “Chase” Harrison isn’t actually dead yet (a crucial prerequisite for Sainthood), but her latest miracle left her in a coma that threatens to send her to her maker any day now.
While Father Thomas goes on a quest for relics, Father Chet befriends Chase's agnostic boyfriend Brad, and the two young men dive into the whirlwind of online discourse around Chase's life in an effort to convince the world she was a good person. But the more Father Chet involves Brad, the more Brad learns about Catholicism. Eventually, Brad's lessons spur visions from Saints past whose advice threatens to topple everything the priests have worked for.
"Nearly a Miracle, Never a Saint" is a new comedy that uses the backdrop of faith to interrogate how we exist online. Behind the absurdity, it asks: what is the purpose of followers in a world that seems eager to watch you fail?
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Read an excerpt here.