“Call Your Mama”

May 5, 2009

Year of St. Paul

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May is the month of Mary. May is the month of mothers.

It’s been 26 years since Paul “Bear” Bryant died. Yet, stories are still told about the great—possibly greatest—college football coach from the University of Alabama. There is one that is a favorite of mine.   I tell it every year at this time.

Apparently, Bear Bryant made a Mother’s Day commercial for “Ma Bell” way back when ATT was THE telephone company. In the commercial, he characteristically said, “Call your Mama!”

Unbeknownst to the coach, the microphone caught his remark at the end of the commercial.

“Call your Mama!” he said and then whispered, “I wish I could call mine.” The telephone company left the line in and the commercial ran.

A few days later, a woman called the local radio station and reported that her husband had heard the commercial and had, in fact, called his mother. The mother and son hadn’t spoken for quite a while and so they had a nice long chat on the phone. The woman said her husband was so happy that he had made the call.

The radio ad man was very grateful that she had called to share her story.   He thanked her and prepared to hang up when the woman added, “Wait, there’s more. My husband’s mother died that night.”

May is the month of Mary. May is the month of mothers. I don’t have to draw you a picture here, right?

Happy Mother’s Day!

Faithfully in Christ,



Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan
Archdiocesan Administrator
Archdiocese of Milwaukee

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