Father Coyle

A native of Drum, Athlone, in County Roscommon Ireland, Father Coyle was ordained in Rome on May 30, 1896 when he was only twenty-three years old. Later that same year, he came to serve his priestly life in the state of Alabama.

He brought a dynamic and apostolic spirit to the parish, emphasizing faithful attendance at Sunday Mass and love of the Eucharist and the Blessed Mother. Among his duties, he served as Chaplain of Birmingham Council 635 of the Knights of Columbus.

On August 11, 1921, Father Coyle was shot and fatally wounded as he sat in the swing on his rectory front porch by an enraged minister whose daughter’s marriage to a dark-skinned Puerto Rican.

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