I have known most of my life that a Catholic priest was shot dead on the front porch of the rectory of St. Paul's Church on 3rd Avenue North in Birmingham, but I am now reading a book that tells the story of the shooting, Hugo Black (who successfully defended the shooter), the Ku Klux Klan (which funded his defense), Catholicism in Alabama in the early days of the 20th century, and what life was like in a Southern steel town full of heat, smoke, and fear after the Great War.
I am reading about Fr. Coyle in Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America. The author is Sharon Davies, who is a former prosecutor, law professor at Ohio State, and excellent storyteller. Here she is interviewed on EWTN by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.
Fr. Coyle's life was celebrated at St. Paul's recently with a Mass on the 90th anniversary of his death. (My old friend Jim Pinto helped organize the event, and representatives from both the Alabama Jewish Federation and the United Methodist Church attended as well as Fr. Coyle's grand niece.) I have driven and walked up 3rd Avenue all my life, but I now feel the presence of a martyr. More about Fr. Coyle here in an Irish source.
2 comments:
A martyr indeed.
I heard Fr Mitch interview the author. I'd love to read the book. Will add it to my list - thanks for the reminder!
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