February 5th is the birthday

… of priest-professor-author Andrew M. Greeley. He’s 79.

It’s the birthday of one of the few Catholic priests who’s ever been a best-selling novelist, Andrew Greeley, (books by this author) born in Oak Park, Illinois (1928). Soon after his ordination in 1954, Greeley decided that he had other interests beyond running a parish. He went on to get a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, and he became a professor of sociology. He began writing about the changing role of religion in society and eventually published more than 60 books on sociology, religion, and other subjects. But he also began to write novels, and he generated a storm of controversy with his fourth novel, The Cardinal Sins (1981).

The Cardinal Sins tells the story of a young Irish boy named Patrick Donahue from Chicago’s West Side who becomes a priest and then rises through the ranks of the church hierarchy, eventually becoming the archbishop of Chicago and a cardinal. Along the way, he takes a mistress and fathers an illegitimate child. At the time, many people thought the novel was a veiled attack on Cardinal John Cody, then the Archbishop of Chicago.

Greeley went on to write several other novels that were controversial, in part because they exposed the behind-the-scenes world of the Catholic Church, and in part because they often contained explicit sex scenes. He was eventually ostracized by his local church leaders, and when he tried to donate $1 million of the proceeds from his books to the Chicago Catholic schools, they refused to take his money. He said, “It was arguably the first time in history the Catholic Church has turned down money from anyone.”

Greeley has now written more than 150 books, which have sold more than 15 million copies. When asked how he can write so much, he said, “I suppose I have the Irish weakness for words gone wild. Besides, if you’re celibate, you have to do something.”

The Writer’s Almanac

… of baseball hall-of-famer Hank Aaron. Henry is 73.

… of singer-songwriter Barrett Strong. He’s 66. “Money (That’s What I Want)” was Strong’s only hit as a singer. The record provided Berry Gordon the capital to expand into Motown. With Norman Whitfield, Strong authored “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “Ball of Confusion,” and “War.”

… of football hall-of-famer Roger Staubach. Jolly Roger is 65.

… of rock musician Al Kooper. If for nothing else, Kooper is known for playing the organ on Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” He’s 63.

… of actor, director, screenwriter Christopher Guest. He’s 59.

… of actress Barbara Hershey. She too is 59.

… of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. She’s 45.

… of two-time Oscar nominee Laura Linney. She is 43.