The priest in question was a much loved hero in Western Canada. He built a school for very touch teenage boys in rural Saskatchewan, and directed all that juvenile energy into sports, especially hockey. His boys beat the best all across Canada. And his "brats" generally turned out very well indeed. If you knew the man, you would realize there was nothing whatsoever out of place with that reference. The image, intended obviously only for me, was picture perfect and evoked a fond memory of deep respect. 

Context is everything, LoL.