Philip Berrigan - Early Life

Early Life

Philip Francis Berrigan was born in Two Harbors, Minnesota, a Midwestern working class town, the younger brother of the Jesuit fellow-activist and poet, Daniel Berrigan. His mother, Frieda (née Fromhart), was of German descent. His father, Tom Berrigan, was a second-generation Irish-Catholic and proud union member.

In 1943, after a single semester of schooling at Holy Cross, Berrigan was drafted into combat duty in World War II. He served in the artillery during the Battle of the Bulge (1945) and later became a Second Lieutenant in the infantry. He was deeply affected by his exposure to the violence of war and the racism of boot camp in the Deep South. Philip soon entered the seminary of the Josephite Fathers, a religious society of priests dedicated to serving those of African descent, who, in the United States, were still dealing with the repercussions of slavery and daily segregation. From this background, he became active in the Civil Rights movement. Berrigan marched for desegregation and participated in sit-ins and bus boycotts. He was ordained a priest in 1955, but left the priesthood 18 years later. He would marry later in life to Elizabeth McAlister of Jonah House in Baltimore, which they founded as a community to support resistance to war. Their three children, Frida, Jerry, and Kate, all grew up to be anti-war activists.