100 Years Ago Hatred Spawned His Murder—Has Anything Changed Today?

By Larry Peterson

Meet Father James E. Coyle 

            What follows is an "American" story about a Catholic priest and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. It is about love and hatred in America. This story is not about the present day. But since it is the way of things in our 21st century, it very well could be. Let us travel back to Birmingham, Alabama. The year is 1921.

            Each and every one of us is an individual work of art crafted by God for Himself. Why would He do that? He does it because He is Love and wants to share Himself with us. We are all   special in His eyes. He loves us all, individually and without reservation.

 Pride, a roadblock to Humility

            He will forgive each and every one of us for anything we might do to offend Him. All we have to do is admit it and ask Him for forgiveness. However, that great interloper called "Pride" frequently places immovable roadblocks to humility. Pride is the demon that continually tries to interfere with our path to Love. Many fall prey to Pride. Many do not. Thus, the ongoing battle between Love and Hate. See how Love and Hate collided on August 11, 1921.

           Father James Edwin Coyle was born and raised in Ireland and, at 23, was ordained a priest in Rome. The year was 1896.  That same year, he was dispatched to the Diocese of Mobile, Alabama, to begin his ministry. Father Coyle served eight years in Mobile. While there, he became a charter member of Mobile Council 666 of the Knights of Columbus.

            Birmingham was rapidly growing and was turning into one of the primary steel-making centers in America. Thousands were flooding into the area, and  Bishop Patrick Allen assigned Father Coyle to be pastor of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham. That was in 1904.

 Beginning of the Burning Cross by the KKK

            In 1915, inspired by the silent film "Birth of a Nation", the second generation of the Ku Klux Klan rose up (the link can explain the first and third generations). These folks were not only anti-black; they also hated Roman Catholics, Jews, organized labor, and foreigners. They started the use of the "burning cross" as their symbol. By the mid-1920s, there were over 4 million klansmen nationwide.

            Father Coyle was a passionate priest who loved his faith deeply, and this love was infectious. He taught and inspired his parishioners about the beauty and importance of the Mass and Holy Eucharist, and he held a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

            The parish grew as Catholics gravitated to the Irish shepherd in their midst. He became the chaplain for the Birmingham Council 635 of the Knights of Columbus, and his presence there brought in more members from the growing Catholic community.

KKK accused the K of C of being the military arm of the Pope

            As the Catholic population in Alabama grew, virtual hysteria on the part of the Ku Klux Klan began to permeate daily life. The Klan was spreading rumors and innuendo about Catholics. They accused Catholics of kidnapping protestant women and children and keeping them imprisoned in convents, monasteries, and Catholic hospitals. The Klan even spread the narrative that the Knights of Columbus was the military arm of the Pope and that they were stockpiling weapons for the upcoming insurrection.

            One of the leading Catholic haters of the day was a klansman named  Edwin Stephenson. Stephenson lived about a block or two away from St. Paul's Church. At about the age of 12, his daughter, Ruth, had become fascinated by the coming and goings of the Catholics at St. Paul's. One day, she walked down to the church, and Father Coyle was outside. They began to talk. Her father saw her talking to the priest and, screaming at his child, demanded she go home immediately. He had a few choice words to say to Father Coyle. He then went home and beat his daughter.

 Her Baptism resulted in her being severely beaten

             Young Ruth was undeterred and, over the next several years, even secretly took instruction from the nuns at the Convent of Mercy. She was baptized a Catholic on April 10, 1921. She was 18 years old. When her parents found out they were both livid. In lieu of a baptisimal gift, their daughter received the worst beating she ever had.

             On August 11, 1921, Ruth Stephenson, of legal age, was seeking complete emancipation from her parents. She did this by marrying Pedro Gussman, a former handyman who had worked at the Stephenson house several years earlier. The man who performed the wedding was a reluctant priest, Father James Coyle. 

Father Coyle murdered on the church porch

            Later that afternoon, Mr. Stephenson loaded his rifle and walked to St. Paul's Church. He had just found out that Father Coyle had performed the wedding. His heart was not filled with love. Instead, with hatred spilling from his eyes, he walked up onto the porch of St. Paul's, where Father Coyle was reading. As Father Coyle looked up, Stephenson shot the priest three times. The final bullet went right through Father Coyle's head. He died in less than an hour. 

 Murderer found “Not Guilty”

            Stephenson turned himself in and was charged with Father Coyle's murder. The KKK paid for the defense. The judge was a klansman, and the lawyer who defended Stephenson was Hugo Black, the future U. S. Supreme Court Justice. Although not a Klan member at the time of trial, Black did become a member afterward. The verdict took only a few hours to come in. It was "Not Guilty". 

             Father James Edwin Coyle was a Catholic priest who loved his God, Faith, and Church. He was hated and murdered because of his love. May he forever rest in peace.

 Copyright©LarryPeterson 2023