The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-02
FATHER KERRIGAN

One of the most pleasant visits that have made in many moons was that which took me 10 see the Rev. Father William A. Kerrigan, pastor of St. Pauls church, not long ago.
 I had heard from many sources the most delightful things in reference to the new pastor and so l went to see for myself and to find out for myself what manner of man had come to assume the duties of the great church which he represents here.
 I was never more pleased with any personality than with Father Ker- rigan, for l found him not only great ecclesiastic and a great scholar, but a great humanitarian. a great 5dealist; and combined with these attributes is a keen sense of humor and fun which reveals the heart of the man as loving, kind, tolerant.
 Father Kerrigan's cordial smile and his more cordial hand clasp in vite friendship and there is be- nign happiness and generous ten derness in his religious attitude which Is at once appealing and kind; he talks with delightful versatility about religion and books about peO- pie and events: and intersperses all with a keen sense of fairness which ] liked and which shows him to be really big man.
 Father Kerrigan has work 10 do which would tax the strength of ten men, it is stupendous. and as you sit in the little living room of the pastors modest home and watch the stream of duties imposed upon him telephone calls. door calls. relief calls. forlorn window calls, sign on- the-dotted-line calls, orphan calls end every sort of call in the world .-you do not wonder that he eX- claims:
 70 for a lodge in some vast wilder ness!"
 And yet Father Kerrigan. with his oheery smile and willing heart will tell you:
 q enjoy every minute of my work, avery minute"
 And it is this attitude which makes him infQse into your mind and heart a sense Nof good fellowship concern ing religion rather than dread of its lawful responsibility" and you at once begin to talk to him about the question Of the day--about music and art and books-and school teaching for it is in this capacity, the teacher. that Father Kerrigan has spent the best part of his life since he was in Birmingham many years ago as
 
 OReilly, serving s rector of McGnl college, Mobile, following the late Father Coyle there, as he does here.
 And as you have had such wide Experience in the teachers art what do you regard as most conducive toward inspiring in the growing, studying boy and girl an ambition 4o be efficient in learning2"I asked
 Quickly Father Kerrigan replies:
 Fond recollections of my own eX periences as a pupil and as a teacher prompt me to declare that if not the best. very good way to inspire in students an ambition to become profi- eient in the realm of letters is to create in them first Q right appre- citation of what constitutes good lit- erature; in other words correct taste, a deep seated love and desire for what is really worth while in the rich literary legacy that is the heri- dage of every American boy and girl. This taste and appetite created, they should be encouraged and fostered by indicating to the neophyte literateur in what high esteem literary men have ever been held by mankind. not because of any pecuniarY reward they may have gained but because of the