Deadly Discrimination

When Carlotta sells her shop in the small town of Providencia, the buyer turns out to be Bahir Ahmed, a Muslim newcomer. Father Jake looks into the new owner and learns that Ahmed moved from Albuquerque, has a wife and two children, and that his father leads the Islamic Center in town. Preaching at Mass, Father Jake urges his congregation to welcome the newcomers with the patience Jesus showed toward strangers. Working with Cynthia Plow, he sets up a community forum where residents can learn about Islam, and the Ahmed family comes to answer their questions.

Afterward, Father Jake and Cynthia both receive threatening letters. Milton Pointer, a white supremacist from a neighboring town, hears about the sale and plans an elaborate attack on the store, intending to ram a Hummer taken from the nearby Fort into the gas pumps. Sheriff Griego is keeping watch over the store and shoots Pointer through the windshield, then arrests his accomplice, who faces trial.

A visit from Archbishop Benisek brings a new turn: the Detroit Prelate wants Father Jake to return to Michigan and take over his former parish. In his place comes a young priest, Father Luis Montoya. Meanwhile, Juan Herrera and Sonia hope Father Jake will marry them before she begins a new job as a drug enforcement agent in Washington, D.C. Will the wedding take place, and will Father Montoya win over the town?