Callahan Image Father Donald Frank Callahan

Father Donald Frank Callahan first appeared in Stephen King’s 1975 novel, ‘Salem’s Lot. In that book, Callahan was an alcoholic priest with good intentions but wavering faith in God and the Church. Along with several friends, Callahan battled an ancient Type One Vampire who had made a feeding ground for himself in the small Maine town of Jerusalem’s Lot. Unfortunately, in his final confrontation with the vampire Barlow, Callahan was forced to drink the vampire’s blood. Although the priest was spared the horror of becoming undead, he became unclean in the eyes of God. In despair and disgrace, Callahan fled into the night.

After escaping the town of ‘Salem’s Lot, Pere Callahan traveled our world’s highways in hiding, searching for redemption. He found two brief periods of respite working in urban homeless shelters. The first of these was New York City’s Home shelter; the second was Detroit’s Lighthouse Shelter.

While working at Lighthouse, Callahan was tricked by the low man Richard P. Sayre, Vice-President of the Sombra Corporation, into visiting his temporary headquarters. On December 19, 1983, Father Callahan threw himself out of a window rather than become a victim Sayre’s horde of AIDS-carrying vampires.

But life was not over for Callahan. Instead of splattering on a Detroit pavement, Callahan was magically transported to Mid-World. In Calla Bryn Sturgis—a small town located in Mid-World’s Borderlands—Callahan built a church and converted the people to the ways of the Man Jesus. He also hid the evil seeing sphere known as Black Thirteen under his church’s floorboards. While in the Calla, Callahan met Roland Deschain and his American ka-tet. Callahan joined Roland in his battle against the forces of the Outer Dark.

In the final book of the Dark Tower series, Callahan’s faith in the White was put to the test once more. Trying to save their tet-mate, Susannah Dean, from Sayre and his cohorts, Father Callahan and two companions tracked Susannah to New York City’s Dixie Pig Restaurant. The three Warriors of the White burst into the Pig, only to find that it was filled with feasting vampires and low men.

Determined to save the lives of his two comrades, Callahan used a can-tah and a crucifix (both powerful symbols of the White) to hold back the forces of the Outer Dark. Jake and Oy escaped and continued their search for Susannah, but Callahan paid for his heroism with his life. Rather than fall victim to more Type One vampires, Callahan shot himself with Jake’s Ruger. Callahan died by his own hand, but in his final desperate hour he gained the spiritual redemption he so desperately craved.

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