Remembering A Murdered Birmingham Priest For His Faith And Courage
A newspaper clipping from the Birmingham News shows Father James Coyle and the porch in front of St. Paul's rectory, where he was fatally shot.
On the centennial of Father James Coyle’s death, dozens of people gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in downtown Birmingham. The Most Reverend Steven Raica led the mass.
“I am pleased to welcome everyone to this mass, even others who may not be Catholic but who share our Christian values so strongly exhibited in the life of Father Coyle,” Raica said.
Coyle, an immigrant from Ireland, sailed to Mobile to teach in the late 1800s. He was appointed pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Birmingham in 1903. During that time immigrants were moving to the city from Europe to find work in the growing steel industry.
Over the years, Coyle became a target for the Ku Klux Klan because he was an outspoken champion for immigrants and poor people of all races.
Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile called Coyle a man of faith and courage.
“He felt compelled to stand up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves, the powerless and the poor. And he knew he was risking his life,” Rodi said.
On August 11, 1921, Coyle married an interracial couple. The bride was a white woman who converted to Catholicism. The groom was a Catholic Puerto Rican man.
According to Rodi, right before the wedding, Coyle said “they will kill me for this.”
Someone did.
The woman’s stepfather, Edwin Stephenson, was a Methodist preacher and member of the KKK. Just hours after the wedding, Stephenson approached Coyle on the porch of St. Paul’s rectory and shot him three times.
“In marrying them, he went against the racial hatred of the day and maybe he went against the anti-Catholic hatred of the day,” said Will Willimon, a retired United Methodist bishop who served in Alabama. “He paid for his ministry with his life.”
Father Coyle: Life & Legacy Documentary
Father Coyle: Life & Legacy Documentary
Willimon, a professor at Duke Divinity School, said during that time, racism wasn’t the only issue plaguing the growing city of Birmingham. Tensions were rising between Catholics and Methodists as well.
Stephenson, Coyle’s killer, turned himself in immediately after the shooting and a few witnesses were there to corroborate the story.
Weeks later, future U.S. Senator and Supreme Court Justice, Hugo Black, defended Stephenson at trial using a race-based argument. The jury acquitted him by reason of temporary insanity. Plus, most of the jury were members of the KKK.
On this year’s anniversary, Sheila Killian, Coyle’s great-niece, called the trial disgusting.
“The thing that was most disturbing was the racism around the trial and how that echoes in more recent racism,” she said.
Willimon said Coyle never got the justice he deserved, and Stephenson escaped punishment from the state and from Methodist leaders. Coyle’s murder demonstrated racism in the church, Willimon said.
“The church should have removed him and made of him an example that you cannot be associated with our church as a leader committing a racist inspired murder,” he said.
Willimon added Coyle’s killing wasn’t talked about much among Methodists.
Sheila Killian learned about her great-uncle, whom the family called Father Jimmy, because of a picture of him at her family home in Ireland.
Killian is also an author and tells the story of Coyle’s death in her fictional book titled “Something Bigger.” She said his story still speaks 100 years later.
“For him, as a priest, everybody is equal in the sight of God – he meant everybody. And that’s still a message that needs to be absorbed, I think because we have a bad habit of ‘othering’ people,” she said.
Killian said Father James Coyle’s life should be a reminder of the love and respect everyone is due.
How the Italian anthem ‘Bella Ciao’ is connected to Charlie Kirk’s killing
From its association with workers' rights in the 19th century to its inclusion in a video game, the famous old Italian song "Bella Ciao" has an evolving legacy.
Water failure at Guantánamo Bay affects U.S. migrant operations there
Migrants sent by the U.S. to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, were moved to another part of the naval base there because of a water failure, raising doubts about housing large numbers of deportees.
Political violence is on the rise in America. What’s driving it?
Before his apprehension, speculation about the identity and motivations of Charlie Kirk's killer filled the void. A increasingly familiar pattern of political violence is taking shape in America.
Utah governor, known for ‘disagreeing better,’ calls for calm after Kirk shooting
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, encouraged young people to "choose a different path" from rage and violence. The mantra of "disagreeing better" has morphed into Cox's brand as a politician.
Missouri passes Trump-backed redistricting plan to help the GOP in the midterms
Opponents say the plan dilutes the power of Black voters around Kansas City and vow to block it in court or with a referendum. The governor, who's expected to sign the plan, says it reflects the state's conservative values.
The Emmys will get it wrong. That’s why we give out the Deggys
Every year ahead of the Emmys, TV critic Eric Deggans gives out his own awards for the best shows and performances. These are the Deggys.
