Interesting Discovery in Birmingham

Birmingham is a city in the north central region of Alabama. To escape the severe weather from Hurricane Michael in 2018, my family traveled from Florida to Birmingham for shelter. While in Birmingham, I took my grandchildren to the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. History is so important. An interactive experience is always the best way to learn, and this museum had it all. Once the weather calmed down, we headed back to Florida.

This time, in 2023, I was back in Alabama visiting my friends. The day after exploring the beautiful Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, my friends suggested we visit the Cathedral in downtown Birmingham.

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church of the Diocese of Birmingham. The parish was established in 1872. The church building was completed in 1890. The church was elevated to cathedral status in 1969.

As I researched the history of this beautiful church, I discovered an interesting part of its past. It seems that the pastor in 1921 was Father James Coyle. Father Coyle was murdered in August 1921 by a member of the Ku Klux Klan who also served as a Southern Methodist Episcopal minister. Father Coyle was shot in the head on the porch of St. Paul’s Rectory shortly after performing a secret wedding between Stephenson’s daughter (who converted to Catholicism) and her Puerto Rican lover. Father Coyle was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, however, there is a desire to relocate his remains to the cathedral since advances are being made for his beatification as a martyr.

As I said earlier, history is important. All that has occurred in the past is important to learn. We must never forget the good and the bad. Most importantly, we must learn from it all as we move forward in life.

The inside of this cathedral was the first one I had seen on this 10-day road trip that was completely decorated for Christmas. My parish in Florida, like most Catholic churches, decorate the church for Christmas Eve Mass. This cathedral, however, had everything in place, except of course, the Baby Jesus was not in the stable. Even as a child in my home, the Christmas tree and the creche went up early December, but the Baby Jesus was not placed in the stable until Christmas Eve.

More beautiful photos of the inside Saint Paul Cathedral …

I truly enjoyed visiting this cathedral and thank my friends, Myron and Donna for sharing this new discovery.

This 10-day road trip was an exciting adventure. So many great discoveries were made, and new friends were found along the way. It is good to be home. I know my car is breathing a sigh of relief. Soon, I will welcome friends from Colorado and North Carolina and will spend time with them exploring fun things close to home. Then, in February, I am off to Spain on an 18-day adventure. I am excited about Spain and look forward to visiting the Cave of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the town of Manresa, Spain.

Stay tuned, God bless, and Happy Reading.

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