The Disgrace of Sant'Ambrogio: Memoirs of Father John ConleyAugust 28, 1944, Florence, Italy"e;Everybody out,"e; a German lieutenant yelled as the citizens in the river district were forced out of their homes."e;They're going to blow our bridges,"e; an old man shouted with his fist in the air. That night, as the bridges were destroyed, smoke and flame lit the air as a revered Renaissance painting was stolen by the known gestapo collaborator Father Danilo Lombardi.September 22, 1978, Vatican CityA young American priest from Boston is summoned to the Vatican on a fateful journey. The disgrace of Sant' Ambrogio sends Father John Conley on a pilgrimage from the catacombs of the Vatican to the summits of the Alps, the monastery of Saint Benedict, and through the gates of East Berlin. Confronted by a blizzard, angry secret police, and unrequited love, he must remain faithful on his mission to redeem the church of Sant' Ambrogio.