In August 1921, Father James Coyle, a Catholic priest, was shot and killed by  a Methodist minister, in Birmingham, Alabama, in a fit of red-hot rage, immediately after he learned that his 18 year old daughter, Ruth Stephenson, had secretly converted to the Catholic Church, and then married a Puerto Rican man named Pedro Gusman -- and that Father Coyle had performed the wedding ceremony.      

This episode shares the story with you – told entirely in Whisper, by Kit Caren.

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HISTORICAL REFERENCES:

Davies, Sharon, Rising Road: A True Tale of Love, Race, and Religion in America (2010).

The Story of Fr James Coyle, The Community of Drum [Ireland] (2010).

Methodist Church Service Asks Forgiveness For Priest's Murder 91 Years Ago, Catholic News Service (May 22, 2012).

Davies, Sharon, Tragedy in Birmingham: Remembering the 1921 Slaying of Father James E. Coyle, Columbia Magazine (March 2010).

Schrantz, Joe, The Reverend's Revenge (novelization, 2004). 

Chesterton, G.K., The Catholic Church and Conversion (book, 1926).

Father James E. Coyle Memorial Project (website). 

Father James E. Coyle Find-A-Grave Memorial Page

Edwin Roscoe Stephenson Find-A-Grave Memorial Page

Rose (Stephenson) Lamka Find-A-Grave Memorial Page

Pedro Gusman Find-A-Grave Memorial Page

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CLOSING THOUGHT

Source: Chesterton, G.K., Manalive (book, 1912), paraphrase of sentence on page 227. 

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Episode includes Whispered Recommendations for:

Dining In The Void

Fataliteas  

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HOW TO CONTACT THE HOST - KIT CAREN

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