The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-21
FAN MAIL Of
RADIO PRIEST
FILLS TRUCK
100000 Letters Pour Each
Week Into Shrine of
Little Flower.
MONEY NOT SOLICITED
New Shrine Being Built to
Take Care of Increased
Activities.
This is the second of series of two
articles on Father Charles E. Coughlin.

Copyright, 1888, by United Press
ROYAL OAK, Mich, Dec. I'll
Father Charles E. Coughlin, whose
counsel was limited to a mere hand
full of parishioners only seven years
ago, now reaches many thousands,
who hear, or read, his sermons
weekly.
Twice a day a truck drives from
the small building that is the Shrine
of the Little Flower to the Detroit
post office and comes back loaded
with heavy sacks of mail. An aver
age of 100000 letters a week pour
in on the man who once described
himself as "the gloomy cleric of
Royal Oak" After his New York
attack on Al Smith late last month
his fan mali increased.
The letters ask for advice. A
man inquiries whether he should
leave his home and seek a job in
another city. A farmer asks for
Father Coughlin's opinion Of the
hog program. People ask for copies
of his last sermon-the priest
mailed out 100000 copies of SER
mons free last season.
Contributions Unsolicited
The letters also contain money,
unsolicited contributions that range
from the pennies Of school children
to checks signed by wealthy bust
ness men.
1t takes approximately 100 clerks
to sort the mail.
Father Coughlin's radio parish,
from a humble beginning, has be-
come a vast business organization.
AS one expense, broadcasting time
alone costs almost $4,000 a week
over the chain of Is independent
stations.
There are large clerical expenses
and the cost of printing copies of
the priests sermons. Also, travel
ing expenses for Father Coughlin
as he goes about the country gath
ering material.
All these expenses are met by
voluntary contributions and by VOL
untary dues" of the League of the
Little Flower, whose 10000 members
are supporters of the priest and pay
81 each, yearly. On Father Cough
Inns recent trip to New York, for
instance, his travelling expenses
were paid from the shrine fund and
the rental price of the theater in
which he spoke was paid by New
York supporters.
Shrine Crowded
Father Coughlin prepares his
sermons personally, and spends
most of the week doing it. He reads
them before delivery to his spiritual
superior, Bishop Gallagher of the
Detroit diocese, but the bishop does
not attempt to censor them. Bishop
Gallagher has maintained a "hands
off" policy on the addresses.
On Sunday afternoon at the ap-
pointed hour the small shrine is
packed to it's 450-seat capacity.
Outside thousands of automobiles
line The avenue. AutoiStS unable to
get into the church listen by means
Of the radios in their automobiles.
Father Coughlin enters from a
side door and steps to the pulpit.
He reads from a prepared speech,
but often deviates from the pre-
pared text to give a graphic, ex-
temporaneous illustration.
He discusses national and inter-
national topics, and problems of
Catholic dogma. Many Of his sub
jects are taken from papal en-
cyclicals, and he frequently quotes
from encyclicals to justify his right
to fight for the temporal as well as
the spiritual welfare Of his people.
Priest Keeps Busy
But Father Coughlin does not
confine his activities to sermons
alone. He manages his parish and
office staff, teaches the catechiSm
to children, and operates Gods
Poor Society,"" which feeds and
clothes thousands of persons an
nually.
A new shrine is being built to
provide better accommodations for
the widening activities. 1t will cost
S75OOOO, and most of the money
was contributed.
Father Coughlin's home was
bombed not long ago, but he was
not injured. Royal Oak police in
vestigated the incident and de-
cided it was done by some one who
sought to intimidate, but not harm,
the priest. AS means of intimi-
dalton it failed. His utterances
since the bombing have been as