The Faithful Remnant on Earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven

"The Faithful Remnant on Earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven"

Six lifelong friends, now in their 60's, meet in the basement of Mulcahy's Funeral Parlor in the Savin Hill section of Dorchester, an inner city suburb of Boston. They have just attended the wake upstairs of their boyhood friend, Arthur "AW" O'Malley. "AW" had cerebral palsy all his life.

The six men are:
Peter "Quarter To Two" Fignatti - a retired "bookie" or numerologist.
Mike "Mucka" Lydon - a retired line worker from Boston Edison.
Charles "Three Balls" Cahill - a state senator, still active.
George "Giraffe" Geoghan - a retired world-class jockey.
Steve "Inkwell" Jablonski - owner of a public relations firm.
Father Frank "Farts" Fahey - a retired priest still serving part-time.
Each has his own guardian angel.
Peter Fignatti - Richard aka "Parley"
Mike Lydon - Bartholemew
Charles Cahill - William
George Geoghan - John aka "Seabiscuit"
Steve Jablonski - Murphy
Father Frank Fahey - Max

Unknown to the men the supervisor of guardian angels Malchus is sent by God to listen to their stories because how they lived their lives will determine the destruction of salvation of the world. At the conclusion of their stories, Malchus makes his report to God with no clear recommendation to save or destroy the world. God calls AW before him and their conversation decides the fate of mankind.

When they die all but "AW" go to purgatory he goes straight to heaven as most disabled people do. The six eventually all meet again in heaven and "AW" wants to know of each one's purgatory experience.