A young Catholic priest, Father Maitland raises eyebrows among the brothers of St. Peter's the moment his young cousin and new bride spend the night in his room. But even when he's trying to do the right thing, Father Maitland continuously finds himself at odds with his superiors and the strictures of the Church—a conflict that threatens to unravel his faith and his life.

A fastidious and darkly satirical novel, with moments of warm humor, Three Cheers for the Paraclete won Thomas Keneally his second Miles Franklin Award.