Father Ralph

I mean, Rachel Ward, this beautiful, beautiful creature in "The Thorn Birds," the love scenes were wonderful to do because I was Father Ralph and she was gorgeous.

CNN Transcript Sep 1, 2003 2003

Richard said: “Well, Father Ralph, I am the son of Bartholomew, the former earl of Shiring.”

The Pillars of the Earth FOLLETT, Ken 1989

Treasured stories were always returned with great reluctance, but Father Ralph and the nuns kept a careful record of what books stayed longest where, then Father Ralph would order copies through the Gilly news agency and blandly charge them to Mary Carson as donations to the Holy Cross Bush Bibliophilic Society.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

“Bravo, Mary!” said Father Ralph again, these first tears since his boyhood dropping from his face onto the backs of his hands, but not onto the paper.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

Then the lady pricked her mount with an impatient spur and cantered across the soggy ground, reining to a halt in front of Meggie, Frank and Father Ralph to bar their progress.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

But as Father Ralph paid his frequent visits to Drogheda and the change in Meggie deepened from a pretty feminine metamorphosis to a quenching of all her vitality, his concern for her mushroomed into worry, and then into fear.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

“Well, I seem to be thoroughly embroiled in your troubles, at any rate,” said Father Ralph uncomfortably.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

Dying to stay and see what happened, Father Ralph reluctantly decided it was more than time he removed Meggie from the vicinity, so he picked her up and turned on his heel to leave.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

By this time Meggie thought about him a great deal, and not as disparagingly as she had at first, always comparing him to Father Ralph.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977

It would be a strange funeral, thought Father Ralph as he looked around; the only women would be Drogheda women, for all the visiting mourners were men.

The Thorn Birds McCullough, Colleen 1977