"A Boy and a Priest" is the second episode of the twenty-second season of the American animated television series South Park. The 289th overall episode of the series, it aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 3, 2018. The episode references the Catholic Church sexual abuse cases, which were previously addressed in "Red Hot Catholic Love". Plot As the families of South Park gather at church on Sunday, Stan Marsh questions why he has to attend every week. His parents, Randy and Sharon, admonish him on the ritual's importance, and say that they always feel better after each service. At church, Father Maxi struggles to deliver his sermon amid all the constant interruptions by members of the congregation who make jokes referencing Catholic Church sexual abuse cases. Butters Stotch attempts to console Maxi, relating to him how he had been the subject of ridicule at school, but now enjoys greater popularity. Encouraging him not to give his tormentors the satisfaction of cowering in shame, he invites Maxi to board game night with his friends at Stan's house, but Maxi's appearance there garners more ridicule from Randy, who finds the scene of a Catholic priest sitting with five boys worthy of a photograph on social media. When an embarrassed Maxi leaves, Butters goes after him. Saying that he himself was once like Father Maxi, Butters implores him not to allow himself to be daunted by the cruelty of others, and to simply be himself. As a result of this, Maxi spends more time socializing with Butters, and neglects his duties, to the point that churchgoers find the church doors locked the following Sunday. When Mr. Mackey alerts the Denver Archdiocese that "another" priest has disappeared from his parish, the diocese sends a cleanup crew of ordained church officials to thoroughly clean the South Park church, Stan's house, and any other location where Father Maxi has been, in order to remove trace evidence of child molestation, in particular semen. At Clyde Donovan's birthday party at a roller rink, Butters brings Maxi, much to the anger of Clyde, who does not want a priest at his party. A demoralized Maxi leaves with Butters, and later confesses to him that some time ago, he learned the extent of the Catholic Church sex abuse problem, and that it was worse than anyone thought (as seen in the episode "Red Hot Catholic Love").