Meet Father James Person. He is neither monk nor social worker, but somehow the world of the contemplative—the world of the Trappist, the Sulpician, and the Carmelite—merges with the world of the street—the world of prisoners, ex-convicts, and addicts—in the life of this humble priest. As a result, he meets Christ, in every person, ever day of his life. His story traces the shaping of one man’s consciousness from a child’s grasp of his family’s immigrant faith, with its deep reverence for the priesthood, to an ever-deepening sense of family and priestly service that extends to the entire body of Christ. Two cherished members of Father Peterson’s expanded family explain:“He’s the first person I ever loved. …He used to come into the County Jail every day and talk with the guys—give’em hope. I’m talking’ 40 years! Love and compassion for these guys afflicted with alcohol.”“I had a $700-a-day habit. He kept trying to get me to look beyond the drugs. When I was 14 I did a crime…horrible. I lived that person I was at 14 every day after that for years. He helped me tear that down. It’s his honesty—you just know.”