A 20th Century Alabama Priest and "Martyr" on Patriotism

I am sort of using this post as a jumping of point to a post I hope to write tonight. Last night a post on a Australian Catholic blog got me engrossed in researching a important man and a incredible story in American Catholic history. All that took place in little ole Alabama in the the 1920's. He in many ways he was murdered for his faith and the story and the courtroom drama that followed not only held the nations attention but involved some pretty important people. Including a Southern Lawyer that would become a important US Supreme Court Justice. More on that later tonight.

I think this poem written in the early deacdes of the last Century quite stunning. It is almost un pc in many Catholic circles. I can imagine my more liberal friends at Vox Nova are gagging if they read this :). What Nationalism they would say!!! Well this was written by a son of Ireland. In fact educated and ordained in Rome itself. I can't help but notice that this echos the sentiments of many of the Irish priests that came to serve us in the North and especially the South. The State of Mississippi comes vividly to mine as to my experience. I met a few of these Irish priest when I was young but they have all sadly passed on now. They all loved the church, yet these immigrant priests taught quite a bit on love of country. Anyway here is the poem. More on the priest who wrote it later

Our National Flag

Do they dare, do they dare, to say we love not thee,That we love thee not Old Glory, that floats above the free.That we re traitors to the Nation, that we cannot both be trueTo the glorious Church Christ founded, and the Red, White and Blue.

They say the Roman Pontiff may ask us to betray The glorious flag of Freedom s land, and we must needs obey.We must haul down at his behest, and in the mire must dragThe folds of dear Old Glory, our nation s glorious flag.

Oh, they lie, they lie and know it, the base and bigot crewWho say such things do basely lie. They know that we are true.They know full well, that all the years that saw Old Glory wave Saw sons of Mother Church stand staunch, the bravest of the brave.

We ve shed our blood on many a field, we ve fought on every sea For the Stars and Stripes, the Nation s flag of the brave and the free.Again we swear if called to fight, we ll gladly, proudly go To man your ships and serve your gun's gainst any foreign foe.

We ll go, and Holy Church will bless the guns and swords of ours,We use to bring destruction dire' gainst any hostile powers.Our love of Country does not change the love to God we bear.God and our Country, both we love, for both we ll do and dare.

Pray when did Pontiff message send, to ask us traitors be To that dear flag, the Stars and Stripes, that waves above the free?Not any year, of all the years since first Old Glory flew Were sons of Church base traitor knaves. No, they were leal and true.

And leal and true are we today, we ll follow where it waves; We ll follow even though if floats above our foreign graves. We ve sworn to serve that Glorious Flag, Let s swear the oath anew,Our flag, Old Glory, Freedom s Flag, the Red and White and Blue