The Molly Maguires Page #2

Oh, I've been to Philadelphia,

but there's more to it than that, I'm sure.

- Have you travelled around much?

- A bit.

Doing what?

A little of this, a little of that.

I'm naturally nosy.

Well, you know,

we don't often get strangers here.

You might try changing

your reception committee.

And what else do we know

about this great nation of ours,

the United States of America,

whose 100th birthday

we're soon to celebrate?

We know it was founded by exiles,

immigrants,

people like many of you here,

who came from across the ocean,

seeking a better life.

And our hearts go out to those people.

We identify with them.

For they too

were far from the land of their birth.

They too were scorned,

and exploited,

and subject as you are subject

to the terrible temptation of violence.

It becomes easy

when we think of those people

to think only of their bloody and

violent struggle to create this nation.

It's an easy step

to the belief that violence is the way

to change bad conditions

into good conditions.

An easy step,

and a false one.

Last night, a colliery

was attacked by a gang of men.

The watchman was beaten,

the mine flooded.

The men escaped

without being recognised.

But they left their calling card

in the bloody nature of what they did.

They were Molly Maguires.

I've been your priest for six years now.

Do you know how many

last rites I've performed

for men killed and crippled,

or sickened to death by what

was done to them in the mines?

Do you think, any of you,

that I don't know

the sufferings of my parish?

But I know those sufferings will not be

improved by what happened last night.

And I warn you now,

God will judge last night's

violence as a sin,

and the people that committed that

violence will be judged as sinners,

and as certain as there's a God above,

as sinners they'll be damned.

And it's my duty

to warn these men further

of a message

from the archbishop himself.

The Church condemns

all secret societies.

All you who belong to the Molly Maguires

know that what you risk

is nothing less than... excommunication.

I say now to you wives and sisters

and mothers of these men,

pray for their repentance.

Pray for them.

They're cutting themselves

off from the Church.

Father, I'd like you

to meet Mr McKenna.

No apologies for the welcome

you received when you arrived.

- You gave as good as you got.

- I did my best.

You might all try turning

the other cheek.

- I've known it to work wonders.

- How's the old man, Mary?

Worn out.

I'll see him on Tuesday night.

I trust you'll not be taken in

by the troublemakers.

I've never started no trouble, Father.

Excuse me.

Well!

Going to church here

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