Murphy, Edward F.

Salem priest, Edward Murphy (1892-1975) was also a writer of novels. One particularly popular book was "The Scarlet Lily."

Edward Murphy was born in 1892 into a large Irish Catholic family in South Salem. He attended St. Mary's Parish School and church.

He went on to Catholic University where he earned a doctorate in philosophy.

In 1932, he was assigned a dual role at an African-American parish and college in New Orleans. Xavier College had just opened. Murphy began staging musical revues and operas to

raise money and awareness for the school and to provide a showcase for the many talented Xavier students.

Murphy wrote The Scarlet Lily which was one of the "first Catholic best-seller". He continued on to write more successful novels, though he continued

to stay with his missionary work within the African-American community during his long career.

Murphy wrote an autobiography "Yankee Priest: An Autobiographical Journey" in 1952.