Charles Edward Coughlin, commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic priest based in the United States near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. Dubbed "The Radio Priest" and considered a leading demagogue, he was one of the first political leaders to use radio to reach a mass audience. During the 1930s, when the U.S. population was about 120 million, an estimated 30 million listeners tuned to his weekly broadcasts.
Father Coughlin c. 1938
Coughlin's church, the National Shrine of the Little Flower
Coughlin and Senator Elmer Thomas on the cover of Time in 1934
Father Coughlin at a WXYZ microphone (Radio Stars magazine, May 1934)
National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica
The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica is a Catholic church in Royal Oak, Michigan. A designated national shrine, the church building is well-known for its execution in the lavish zig-zag Art Deco style. The structure was completed in two stages between 1931 and 1936.
National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica
View of the National Shrine from Woodward Avenue
The Charity Crucifixion Tower
The octagonal nave from the balcony with the chapel entrance visible in the rear