Msgr. George C. Higgins, 2000

Remembering Father George

In our family, he was always known as 'Father George'. He was my dad's cousin and thus a first cousin to me, (once removed, if you understand the convention). Growing up in Springfield as a boy, I didn't see him much, but I knew he lived in Washington, DC, and that in the American Catholic Church of mid-late 20th century, he was a big deal.

Not that he ever acted like it. George was a quiet man. I never heard him raise his voice, he was not flamboyant or even particularly sentimental. But people listened to him. Senators and Governors, Popes and Cardinals, Labor and Civil Rights leaders and most of all, ordinary working men and women whom he reached in parishes, fields, and factories. His newspaper column, "The Yardstick" which covered labor and social issues, ran in almost every Catholic newspaper in the country, including The Catholic Messenger in Davenport, IA. He held innumerable press conferences and testified before Congress on important social legislation. He was on the front lines of every significant labor action and civil rights demonstration for decades. And he was also behind the scenes, brokering landmark agreements for unions, serving as "Pertiti" (expert) and designated spokesperson to the American Press at Vatican II, and fostering Interfaith understanding.

Where did he come from? Well, Chicago, of course. Beginning in the early 20th Century, the Archdiocese under Cardinal Mundelein, became a center of progressive reforms, in what was still largely an immigrant church. A whole generation of remarkable church leaders, like Dan Cantwell, John Eagan and Reynold Hillenbrand, took up the cause and launched movements of national significance. George Higgins was one of them, and he developed a specialty in advocating for the rights of working people.

His father worked for the Post Office. I don't believe my Great-Uncle Charlie graduated high school, but everyone who knew him thought he was the wisest and best-read man they had ever met. George took after him. Most all of the other men in the family, including my dad, worked for the railroad. They were all strong union men. The Depression was the formative experience of their lives and, next to the Church, they believed in FDR and the New Deal.

Soon after receiving his Ph.D in labor economics, George joined the legendary Msgr. John Ryan at what was then called the National Catholic Welfare Conference (now the National Conference of Catholic Bishops). Ryan had helped create the New Deal and lent FDR invaluable Catholic support at a time when some demagogues, like Fr. Charles Coughlin and Gerald L.K. Smith, were working against him. In the post-war era, George became head of the Social Action office and became widely known as "The Labor Priest". The head of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney, called him "Labors' Chaplain".

But these were not mere honorifics. George was everywhere. He fought Communist infiltration in unions at a time when that was a serious threat. He rallied support from labor, especially from his close friend, Walter Reuther of the UAW, for civil rights, and marched in historic demonstrations in Washington DC, Selma and elsewhere. And when Solidarity called, George went to Poland and worked with Lech Walesa during the historic days of liberation from Soviet domination.

He may be best known for his advocacy and support for the United Farm Workers. Cesar Chavez often said that no one else was more helpful in gaining recognition for the Union. It was classic George. Working behind the scenes, lining up critical support from the Catholic bishops and from Organized Labor--there were plenty of detractors in both groups--and then cutting the key deal with Governor Brown and the California growers.

Less well known, perhaps, was his work in those years promoting Interfaith dialogue and understanding, particularly with the American Jewish Community. (He founded the National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, and was chair of the Bishops' Advisory Committee for Catholic-Jewish Relations.) It was a seminal initiative and had lasting benefit after he helped Vatican II change Church teaching.

He had so many friends, among them St. Ambrose's own Labor priest, Fr. Bill O'Connor. A lot of his friends were politicians. He liked them and they trusted him. When I worked in the Carter White House, Vice President Walter Mondale would frequently bring up his name. Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Hubert Humphrey and others were very close to him, personally and professionally. But the truth is, he was not without enemies, including among the more conservative bishops in the hierarchy. He treated them all with courtesy, but he also had a sharp wit that he used to deflect his critics.

He never really retired but as his health began to falter, he received awards and recognition for his life's work. In addition to the Pacem in Terris Peace & Freedom Award in 2000, President Bill Clinton bestowed the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian recognition, and Notre Dame University gave him the Laetare Medal in 2001, the oldest award of its kind for American Catholics.

He has been gone for years now, but George's causes and concerns are as vivid as ever. We need leaders of similar wisdom and grace today. He always had faith that we would find them.

~ Thomas Higgins