The Father, the Son and the Holy Guest Star/References

Cultural References

 * Scooby-Doo: The Ministry Machine is an obvious parody of the Mystery Machine.
 * The title is obviously a reference to Catholic phrase: In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost/Spirit.
 * Marge's ringtone is the theme tune to Hawaii Five-O.

Trivia/Goofs

 * The ragtime music video playing during the montage of Homer and Bart at the catholic school is called "Maple Leaf Rag," a public-domain ragtime piano piece composed by Scott Joplin in 1899.
 * After Bart speaks Latin at the dinner table, Lisa states that Latin is Plutarch's language. However, Plutarch was a Greek who wrote in Greek during the Roman Empire.
 * Statue plaque: "St. Jerome. He suffered for our sins. Now it's your turn."
 * Goof: It took Marge five years to toilet-train Bart. But in Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song he was about two before he was toilet trained.
 * Catholic Springfielders: It is made clear in this episode that most of the main characters in Springfield are Protestants, who attend Rev. Lovejoy's church. The episode does give some insight into who are the (probable) Roman Catholics in Springfield. At the church's pancake dinner one can spot: Bumblebee Man (Hispanic); Mayor Quimby (Irish, but he may only be attending a community event for political reasons); Luigi and two members of Fat Tony's crew (Italian). Fat Tony is sitting at a different table as his fellow mob members.
 * Homer thinks that Mickey Mouse's dog Pluto is called "Plutarch".
 * Homer asks how Catholics can stand not eating meat on Friday's, but this practice is no longer mandatory for Catholics.