Priest

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child sexual abuse, death by suicide, and substance use.

At St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, communion is a central expression of faith, but its value depends entirely on the interior state of the parishioner. It can be a moment of deep unity with God, the Church, and the parish community—hence its name, communion—but it can also be an empty social performance. Millie quotes C. S. Lewis: “[A] cold, self-righteous prig, who goes regularly to church, may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute” (130). The “prig” represents people who mechanically attend church. They might take communion, but they don’t have a deep relationship with God. Their presence is perfunctory. Tyler describes Catholicism as “an active religion […] a religion of doing—rituals, prayers, motions” (147). Communion occurs through movement. Tyler and Poppy create a new form of communion by developing a sexual chemistry that connects them to God. Since St. Margaret’s is the setting of many of their sexual encounters, the church is a symbol of an active, multilayered communion.

The adult entertainment venue produces feelings on par with communion. As an adult entertainer, Poppy played the role of the priest, while the customers were her “flock.