One of Dorchester's Catholic churches some years ago was staffed by a young priest who was beloved by his parishioners. The man engaged in all kinds of community activities: he worked with the CYO, he helped run the parish bingo, he visited sick persons in their homes, and brought comfort and guidance to all who sought his help.

If someone needed counsel, he was there to pray, console and offer his wisdom. If someone needed money to pay a bill or buy food for their kids, he dug into his own wallet, gladly giving away whatever small amount he had. He was the perfect role model for what it meant to be a priest, ably and conscientiously ministering to the neighborhood.

But he had one personal problem: he struggled with an affinity for alcohol, and from time to time he overindulged at a local bar. And since he always gave away his own money, he would run up a tab, later to find there was no way to settle the bill.

Some friends were aware of this "problem with the drink", as they called it, and while they made attempts to get him the cure, they also believed they could help him avoid scandal by collecting money to pay off his bar bill.

When these times came, they would organize a "can drive": a handful of his friends would go out over a weekend and collect donations, cash or folding money. They'd work the supermarkets, the bowling alleys, even local convenience stores, asking for loose change. They soon found one of the best ways was to solicit at some of Dorchester's busy intersections, moving among the traffic stopped at red lights. They were always able to keep the reason for their efforts anonymous- they called it a community children's benefit, because the priest was such a great help to the kids- and they always quickly raised what was needed to pay the priest's drinking bill.

Over the decades, the can drive has become a fixture in Dorchester. Local K of C members work the streets each October in a traditional "tootsie roll" drive; veterans groups each year give away red poppies for a donation. Regularly, persons with "Aids Awareness" T shirts approach rush hour drivers stopped at the lights on Morrissey Blvd., and young men with anti-drug abuse messages have been seen this summer seeking donations at Adams and Gallivan. And recently, there's been a growth in a number of apparently homeless persons asking drivers to drop spare change in empty coffee cups.

Street corner solicitations have become commonplace, but there is a growing sentiment that can drives can be bothersome to motorists, and in heavy traffic they can be a safety hazard for the solicitors.

Some drivers have noted that children walking from car to car sometimes cut through lanes of traffic, and as the light turns green, sometimes they stay too long on the roadway. The fear is it could be a bad incident just waiting to happen.

Others note that drivers who perceive delays being caused by soliciting tactics might respond in a "road rage", endangering the solicitors and other drivers as well.

Dorchester Councillor Maureen Feeney was reported this week to be planning a City Council hearing on the broad issue of roadway soliciting. There are some issues that deserve to be discussed and debated, and a Council hearing is a good first step. - Ed Forry