Monsignor John J. Curran (1859-1936)

In the early twentieth century, Father John Curran of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, earned a national reputation as supporter of the country’s miners as they struggled to improve wages and working conditions. As a boy he himself had worked in the mines before becoming a priest. During the 1902 miner’s strike, Father Curran worked with United Mine Workers President John Mitchell to present the miners’ case to the public. Upon Curran’s advice, President Theodore Roosevelt intervened as coal shortages were affecting the nation’s economy. Roosevelt became good friends with Curran, who is seen to the right of the President in this 1912 photo. Father Curran (he was named a monsignor in 1930) was involved in a number of labor disputes, winning the respect of both labor and management. His mediation skills and his access to powerful political leaders made him a unique priest of his time.