The Headless Priest
It was a warm night of winter in San Pedro Perulapán, and I was coming very late, drunk and tired on Friday at midnight. I could barely remember where I was, or where I was going, I just fell down on the pavement and slept.
A couple of hours later, some bells were ringing, and I woke up. I looked around; I was in a church that I didn’t recognize. It looked antique like the Colonial times. I merely took my hat off and sat on the closest empty chair.
The priest was reciting in a language that I didn’t comprehend well. My grandma always said that 100 years ago, the churches celebrated the masses in Latin, but I wasn’t sure if it was that mythical language because I had never heard it before.
The church seemed empty, and I tried going closer to the altar because I couldn’t see it. I felt the potent incense, and the smoke was considerably deep. The roof was completely dark from all the candles over the years. Plus, the saints on the walls, their faces seemed washed out or opaque.
I kept quiet and followed the normal mass. Nevertheless, during the consecration, the priest looked forward to us, and the horror happened! The headless priest (figure 1) was in front of me! My heart started to beat so fast that I almost had a heart attack! Suddenly, I ran to the entrance, but it was closed, and I couldn’t open it. The headless priest approached me and tried to give me communion. However, at that moment, he vanished in front of my eyes! I woke up in my room. I was sweating like a pig, and my wife was next to me, she was frightened because she said I was yelling while I was sleeping and moving in my bed like crazy.
A couple of hours later, some bells were ringing, and I woke up. I looked around; I was in a church that I didn’t recognize. It looked antique like the Colonial times. I merely took my hat off and sat on the closest empty chair.
The priest was reciting in a language that I didn’t comprehend well. My grandma always said that 100 years ago, the churches celebrated the masses in Latin, but I wasn’t sure if it was that mythical language because I had never heard it before.
The church seemed empty, and I tried going closer to the altar because I couldn’t see it. I felt the potent incense, and the smoke was considerably deep. The roof was completely dark from all the candles over the years. Plus, the saints on the walls, their faces seemed washed out or opaque.
I kept quiet and followed the normal mass. Nevertheless, during the consecration, the priest looked forward to us, and the horror happened! The headless priest (figure 1) was in front of me! My heart started to beat so fast that I almost had a heart attack! Suddenly, I ran to the entrance, but it was closed, and I couldn’t open it. The headless priest approached me and tried to give me communion. However, at that moment, he vanished in front of my eyes! I woke up in my room. I was sweating like a pig, and my wife was next to me, she was frightened because she said I was yelling while I was sleeping and moving in my bed like crazy.
Figure 1. The headless priest.
I explained to her all that had happened the previous night. She glared at me and said: “Rolando, you must visit Mr. Gilberto, Mrs. Rosario’s nephew. He had a similar experience in the past.”
I was shocked because the house seemed abandoned as if no one had lived there for years. I felt some cold air behind me, I turned back, and the old man was in front of me. Mr. Gilberto asked me: “Who are you? What are you looking for in my house? Do I know you?”
Next Sunday, I rode my horse, and I went to Mr. Gilberto’s cabin. He was a very old man who used to live at the top of a mountain around 50 km from our house in San Pedro Perulapán, but I was able to reach his house.
I explained to him all that happened, and that my wife sent me to him. He just said: “I see. Come, we need to speak more in the basement.”
Mr. Gilberto lit some candles and said: “Sit there. I’m going to bring some coffee and don’t move.”
I waited for half an hour or more when he came back and said: “Do you know what happened to you yesterday?”
I answered him that I wasn’t sure because I’d never experienced something like that before, and I was still shaking thinking about it.
“Do you know why the Headless Priest is here or what happened to him?” Said Mr. Gilberto. I was honest with Mr. Gilberto that I didn’t know anything about him. I had just overheard from time-to-time small stories about him, but I never cared about him.
“So, it’s time that, a little about our past.” Said Mr. Gilberto.
This is an old story that comes from Columbian times. The conquest was ongoing 200 years after the Spaniards were well-established in America. They started the forced conversion of our people. They brought Catholicism to our lands and many good and bad people too.
During these times, the priests had incredible power. They influenced all spheres including politics, education, science, in fact, everything. What's more, every new decision or law had to be approved by their council.
The Archdiocese assigned one of its most handsome and well-educated priests to a church known as La Merced (figure 2) in San Salvador these days. The life of this priest was challenging because many women tried to pervert him over the years. He overcame most of his temptations. However, one day, a woman confessed to him, and her beauty and sweet-voiced tormented him and he couldn’t stop thinking about her for many nights.
Figure 2. The church of La Merced. ¹
The priest requested a relocation, but the Archdiocese declined it. He was an important figure, and no one wanted to take his role. The father did everything in his power, but one day he could not overcome his nature and committed a great sin. He had an affair with a married woman. For many years, he kept secret all his misadventures, and no one suspected such a respected and loved member of society.
Nevertheless, one day a person discovered his misadventures and made them public all over the city. This unfortunate situation tarnished his well-respected image, and he fled to the mountains where he kept practicing his priesthood in secret.
He never confessed his sins and died in a peasant revolt by mistake. He was beheaded, and his hands were full of sores.
After that, many people said that he came back to his old church of La Merced to purge his sins until the end of time. He tries to help people like you Rolando to overcome their bad habits and be straightforward in their lives.
Many people say he tends to walk around midnight between the church of El Rosario and La Merced. He follows a path (figure 3). He starts at the church of El Rosario and later goes straight on 6th Avenue towards the former cinema Libertad. After that, he turns around 6th eastern street, and finally, turns around 6th northern street before he enters the church of La Merced. Later, he vanishes. Also, some people have seen him hiking on the Las Vegas bridge before he vanishes. He wears his old black habit, a rosary, and across.
Many people say he tends to walk around midnight between the church of El Rosario and La Merced. He follows a path (figure 3). He starts at the church of El Rosario and later goes straight on 6th Avenue towards the former cinema Libertad. After that, he turns around 6th eastern street, and finally, turns around 6th northern street before he enters the church of La Merced. Later, he vanishes. Also, some people have seen him hiking on the Las Vegas bridge before he vanishes. He wears his old black habit, a rosary, and across.
Figure 3. The typical route of the Headless Father.
However, your case is very specific because it’s when he turns up in his former church. This is dangerous because you saw him in the Atrium walking around the Bell Tower. Be careful, Rolando, these habits are pretty bad. If you don’t stop, maybe I won’t see you or your wife again.
Rolando was shocked and shaking as never in his life and said: “Thank you, Mr. Gilberto. I need to tell you everything about my wife. Also, I am going to stop seeing my lover. I need to go right now immediately!”
After Rolando left, Mr. Gilberto said in Latin before blowing out the last candle: “This guy is smarter than I thought. Perhaps noble, I hope I won’t need to frighten him again in his dreams! Haha haha haha!”
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