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Pat Walsh
Pat's Peeps Podcast
Ep. 208 Today's Peep Honors the Memory of Monsignor Kavanaugh and Families like Ernie and Freddie, Their Unselfish Kindness and My Personal Relationships With Them, We Dedicate an All-Time Classic to Them
This episode explores the profound impact of community and unsung heroes on our lives, reflecting on personal experiences and heartfelt stories of love and kindness. We honor the memory of Monsignor Kavanaugh and families like Ernie and Freddie who embody the spirit of giving and nurturing in South Sacramento.
• Impact of a listener's call on remembering childhood heroes
• Stories of Ernie and Freddie, exceptional adoptive parents
• Tribute to Monsignor Kavanaugh and his influence on the community
• Reflection on what family means and how it shapes us
• The importance of kindness and community support in difficult times
• Encouragement to acknowledge and appreciate life's unsung heroes
here we are again, my friends. How are you? How are you happy? Tuesday, 11th day of February 2025. And as I peer out my studio windows into the beautiful foothills of Northern California, over to my neighbor's beautiful flowers, dang it, they're getting nicer every day. I was going to tell you how sunny and beautiful it was, but it's now the clouds, I don't know. It looks nice outside today. Nice, it's good enough. It's nice. Some clouds, some sun, whatever Mixing it up. Hey, found a little pig here. How you doing, going through my stuff? Still Found a little squeaky pig. Thank you to Darlene with a Y for stopping by today and bring me chicken pot pies. Thank you very much, darlene, appreciate you, love you.
Speaker 1:President of the Pat Wall show fan group on social media. By the way, I am the host of the Pat Wall show. One more time, I won't do that the whole time, I'm even annoying myself with that one. The Pat Walsh Show, kpk News Radio 93.1 FM 1530 AM in Sacramento and, of course, heard all across the country and internationally on the free iHeart app, just like this Pat's Peeps. So again, I'm going to start right there, because here's what I noticed is that this week and I've been doing this what? November, december, january, I don't know what a year and four or five months, maybe, something like that. This was the busiest download week I've ever seen on my podcast. So, thank you, thank you very much, appreciate that.
Speaker 1:I got a great phone call from young man yesterday that I can't wait to share. Maybe I can even have him on my show tomorrow, I might. I might have a couple of guests on tomorrow's show. Yeah, I don't always have him on my show tomorrow. I might have a couple of guests on tomorrow's show. Yeah, I don't always have guests on my podcast. We just kind of live life and whatever comes our way. This is what we do. Sometimes there's guests, sometimes there's not guests, whatever. Same thing on my show.
Speaker 1:But I had something in particular I do want to talk about today, but again before I get to it, yeah, a young man that called me made my day yesterday about today. But again, before I get to it, yeah, young man that called me made my day yesterday. Desi, if you're listening today and then to find out he listens to my podcast, I'll just tell you who he is, this young man. I'm gonna see if I can get him on, like I said, tomorrow. He was part of a family. This is going back to this must have been 1998, 1999, 98, 99, and into the beginnings of 2000, when I knew this young man who was certainly a young man now. He was a boy then, just a young he was. How old was Dizzy? I don't know, maybe I don't know. I think he was pre-teen, maybe 11, something like that, anyhow.
Speaker 1:So I live in this one area in South Sac and I lived in this area in South Sac and I had this big old Rottweiler, murphy. He's a gentleman. He looked scary but he loved people, would never harm anyone unless you tried to. You tried to come on into my house and you had not been welcomed. Murphy would be right there to greet you, scared the heck out of you if you were not welcomed. Anyhow, great guard dog, and just a great dog. Point is, he got out one day. I don't know how that happened. You don't want that to happen. You don't want that to happen. You don't want your dog to get out, particularly a muscle-bound Rottweiler like Murphy was Was.
Speaker 1:It's a long story which I don't want to get into right here, but I get either a phone call Must not have been a phone call, because the folks did not know me. This gentleman didn't know me at the time, so he must've come down to my home. I think that's what happened, ernie, ernie, ernie comes to my house, as I recall, you know, is this your dog? He's like my neighbor down the street. I said, yeah, well, I'm sorry, oh, I'm so sorry. And Ernie and his wife, freddie, freddie and Ernie, they were well, I hope Freddie's doing great, but Ernie rest in peace. He and I became quick friends, ernie and this man.
Speaker 1:I was living in an area where there were minorities, but I grew up in South Sacramento. You know I love South Sacramento, I get along with everyone. Ernie and Freddie just for sake, I guess, of context of this story are black and saints, and I bring up black because the fact of what they were doing for their community and for these other black children who were looking for parents, and freddie and ernie were some of the most amazing and god I it really makes me want to reach out to freddie. We we've kept in touch. It's just been a bit, you know, since we've talked to, since we've talked to her, since I've talked to her, but these people are saints.
Speaker 1:They adopted, as I recall, maybe six kids might've been seven. These were all from families who were well. They all had special needs. Let's say that they were born addicted to drugs. Some of them Essentially Freddie and Ernie were foster parents. But these were not foster parents who did it for the money. They did it for the family. They did it for the family. And all of these kids, brothers and sisters, were family Freddie and Ernie mom and dad, and they raised them so beautifully.
Speaker 1:Desi, this young man who got a hold of me yesterday, says Pat, you're like my childhood hero. I was stunned by that. When he said that I have such good memories I'd go over there. They would. Some of the kids Cece, I remember, would just jump into my arms. He'd be so excited.
Speaker 1:And they adopted, I believe, six black children who were truly underprivileged and addicted to drugs and variety of things. But I also remember that I remember them adopting Russian children and I was like, oh my God, I love these people. Then they had and I could be getting some of this wrong the point being, even with all these kids, it didn't matter after that If a baby needed their love and their family atmosphere, they reached out. Didn't matter if they're white, black, didn't matter, it's just kind of the way it went. They were just loving and are Freddie loving parents and I would just. We became such good friends. And you know, ernie, ernie, doc Ernie oh God, I miss that man.
Speaker 1:We used to have such great conversations. He had a couple sons and they were police officers. I remember one was an officer in Boston. We used to talk to him, talk about him all the time. He was so proud of his sons.
Speaker 1:But he would take Desi, des, who got a hold of me, and he would teach him how to build things. Like Des, to my recollection, des again maybe he was 12, knew how to do all of these things. He could do electric, he could build things, he could work in the garden, he could put up fences. Ernie taught him. And Freddie she's taking care of all of these kids who I just adore and love, and I'm just so I was excited. Then he tells me and I could hear it in his voice how excited he was, excited he was to leave me a voice message because I didn't hear my phone. I was probably doing my podcast and I didn't know my phone was going off at the time, but he told me he listens to my show and to my podcast. Wow, truly blessed. So I'm going to reach out to Des tomorrow. I'd like to know his thoughts and his memories of those days. So hopefully we'll be able to. We might have Blake McKernan on tomorrow as well Boxer, local boxer, but we'll see what happens. Maybe have a couple of guests on, that'd be great.
Speaker 1:Speaking of people who I adore and respect, today is a very special day. I want to say thank you, by the way, to Earlene. It's a bit of an inside joke. Thank you, earlene, for that information. That's a joke that only Earlene is going to get. If you're listening to my podcast, 208. Are we at 208 already? You got to be kidding me. 208 of these things you guys have been putting up with me. Thank you for that. Earlene told me that today is the birthday of someone that I just love and respected so much that in my book, is a saint and I'm not even being facetious when I say that or dramatic.
Speaker 1:Today is the birthday of Monsignor Cavanaugh. Monsignor Cavanaugh, who is a friend of the Walsh family, a friend of my family, edward Joseph Kavanaugh, who was born February 11th 1925, in Erlingford County, kilkenny, ireland, where I just returned from who was the second of four children born to James J Cavanaugh and Molly McDermott, siblings Matthew, kitty and James. He was born on this day and you see the Kavanaugh transportation what is it? Buses or whatever, the coaches. You see that in Ireland a lot which is part of his family legacy, monsignor Kavanaugh, who grew up in the aftermath of World War I, as everyone in Europe was trying to get back to some normalcy. Aftermath of World War I, as everyone in Europe, was trying to get back to some normalcy.
Speaker 1:It was not a prosperous well, it wasn't a prosperous time at all. Many Irish went to England to go to work just because there were more opportunities there. In the Kavanaugh there was a family business. The Kavanaugh family was in the grocery business. They owned a garage, operated a bus service. They operated a wholesale newspaper distributor, was in the grocery business. They owned a garage, operated a bus service. They operated a wholesale newspaper distributor service in the south of Ireland. Ed working in the family business, especially during World War II because the news business was extremely important in that era.
Speaker 1:England had plenty of priests. The year before Monsignor Cavanaugh was ordained he heard of the priest shortage in Sacramento, which there's a severe shortage, and he heard about this from Monsignor Thomas Kirby, so he decides to sign up for Sacramento in 1947. On June 6th of 48, edward Cavanaugh became an ordained priest, and that was for the Diocese of Sacramento, at St Mary's Cathedral, kikeni Left, ireland, december 8th 1948. Flies to New York. Spent a few days there. Headed west by train to Sacramento, met a man in Denver, asked him if he was a priest. Stranger was Bart Cavanaugh, the city manager of Sacramento, who was traveling on the same train and then, after arriving in Sacramento, took Father Cavanaugh to the cathedral where Bishop Armstrong was at the cathedral office. Father Ed arrives. He called St Patrick's home, asked for Father Patrick Bennett, the pastor, to come to the cathedral to take Father Ed to St Patrick's home. Two weeks later, december 21st 1948, father Bennett dies of a sudden heart attack.
Speaker 1:Father Carol Lawson appointed the new pastor of St Rose Church. That's the church where I grew up. That's the church where I was baptized, st Rose Church on Franklin Boulevard in Sacramento, south Sacramento. This is part of. I was talking about this family earlier with Des and Ernie and Freddie, south Sacramento, same area, right down the street where I had my first job ever as a 13-year-old, cleaning up the Pink Panther Bar, but he was the new pastor of the St Rose Church. Father Lawson was the first Native American to become a priest, by the way, in the Diocese of Sacramento. When Father Ed was appointed to St Rose, to that particular parish, as an assistant, I think he realized he'd spend the rest of his life serving the people at St Rose Parish.
Speaker 1:I use his lamp every night on my radio show. I was by Monsignor in his deathbed. I'd been visiting him and visited him a few times and he had this lamp next to his bed and I would always ask him if he wanted the lamp on. Anyhow, he gave me this lamp to remember him by and I've always done my lamp. I've always had a lamp. When I do my radio show. I turn these obnoxious overhead fluorescent lights off. After the rest of the day Everyone's done with their. You know the news and all that. I'm in there by myself. I turn those, fade those down those lights, and then I put up a lamp. The initial one I had was a cigar lamp from Tobacco Republic in Loomis and I replaced it with Monsignor Cavanaugh's lamp. So every single night before my show I turn the lamp on for Monsignor Kavanaugh Do the sign of the Holy Cross every single show. Yes, I'm a Catholic. So he was Father Kavanaugh in 54, appointed to the director of the St Patrick's Home for Children.
Speaker 1:He loved living in Sacramento. He felt blessed that the Sisters of Mercy of Omaha were staffing the parish school. 100 children lived in the orphanage, attended the parish school, came from broken homes. Other students from local communities attended St Patrick's School. They had a boxing team, the orphanage. I love it. That's back when you could box, when you were a kid man. I love that.
Speaker 1:St Charles Parish there was a whole. There was a land swap. You had the original St Rose Church 70 K Street, first Catholic Church in Sacramento. When St Patrick's Home was built in 34, eleanor McClatchy wanted to preserve the name on the First St Rose Church in Sacramento. Because of her influence, the school chapel on Franklin was named St Rose Chapel. In the beginning, three Sunday masses celebrated in the chapel of the orphanage 7, 9, and 11 am was the mass schedule. 60 acres which the present St Rose Parish is built was once a Catholic cemetery.
Speaker 1:After St Mary's Cemetery was established in 29, st Mary's Cemetery is where so many of my relatives are resting, particularly the Tracy side of the family, uncle Paul, uncle Dick, aunt Bonnie, grandma Tracy's all the Tracy's. The bodies were buried at the Franklin Fruit Ridge property. They were moved to St Mary's Cemetery under the direction of Monsignor Thomas Kirby who was the Dyson property czar at the time. You saw that the new Highway 99 freeway was built through Sacramento. Ten acres of parish land were taken by the state of California for that freeway and I went to the St Charles Parish Center Parkway in Sacramento. There was a swap of land provided that parish site for the St Charles Parish. That's where I made my first communion.
Speaker 1:I remember Monsignor Poole was it Monsignor Poole that man was so these men were so influential on me. When we went to communion he says yeah, don't hold your hands like this, you don't clasp it like this, you're not lazy, you don't, not me personally, but he'd tell everyone. You know you hold your hands like this in a prayer fashion and you have your hands in a very prayer with your forearms up and your hands in the proper prayer position. To this day when I go to communion that's exactly how I go up there. I bought my hot rod truck from St Charles Borromeo when it was just an old farm truck and I saw it out there for sale. Father was selling it. Back then they created the St Patrick's Thrift Shop. They grew the parish.
Speaker 1:There's so much more I could say about him facts-wise. But there's other things I'd say about him facts-wise. But there's other things. I'd go to Mass. It'd be 8 am Mass. First of all, he baptized me. I mentioned that earlier. Monsignor baptized me. First of all, he was a friend of my family.
Speaker 1:When my father left my mother in 1971, my mother didn't realize that was going to happen. It's a long story. We kissed her goodbye. We were driving away in the station wagon. I remember it at daybreak. I couldn't wait to drive in the family station wagon to Oregon, but for some reason my dad wasn't going and I I just figured he had to work. I don't know, I was only 10. And when we got back from our trip to Oregon, my dad had moved out, unbeknownst to my mother, who then went into a depression.
Speaker 1:There's a whole different story Could not stop crying. We had no money. You know. We were on food stamps. We had nothing for a while, nothing. It's not that my dad didn't care. I was too young to really realize what was going on. Maybe I'm still now, maybe I still don't exactly realize what was going on, maybe I'm still too young, anyhow, and so this is a whole story in itself. But we didn't have anything.
Speaker 1:I remember searching for Coke bottles all day. You could get three cents for Coke bottles, for a Coke bottle, seven up whatever, and then I'd collect a bunch of them because people were litter bugs back then. People were litterbugs. Back then People were litterbugs. Can you really imagine walking through a field and finding several different empty Coke bottles? Really, people were litterbugs back in the late 60s. Not a lot of people might remember that, may not remember that. I should say I think I just did a double negative Anyhow, and I'd scoop enough money together to be able to maybe buy some macaroni and some gravy or whatever to fix for me and my siblings and my mom.
Speaker 1:Anyhow, I don't want to go down that desperate road. All I'm saying is I'm on Senior Kavanaugh, when my mother had no one to turn to. He was right there, teresa, it's going to be fine, teresa. I apologize for my weak Irish accent. There. It'll be fine, teresa, it's going to be fine, you're blessed. And he'd come to our house and he'd bring us groceries and he'd hug her and he'd hug us and he made us feel like it was going to be okay. Never forget that. And then, after my parents died well, even when they were still with us, as an adult, even though it was a long trip from where I live, I thought, you know, I'm going to go down to, especially when my mom passed away, though I'm going to start going down to St Rose because it reminds me so much of my mom and dad and so much music at the time. This takes you back, you know. It just kind of transports you to a different time, a different place, and so I would do that.
Speaker 1:I'd go to the 8 o'clock Mass. After Mass, Monsignor, monsignor Kavanaugh, god bless you. Monsignor, everyone's exiting the church. Patrick, patrick, patrick, hold up a moment, son. Yes, monsignor, can you hold on a moment? Yes, monsignor, can you hold on a moment? Yes, monsignor, sure, you bet. Can you come to the rectory after mass? Well, sure, sure. And but before that, you know, people would be exiting the church, going to the parking lot, and he'd be like you know, he'd pick out random people Because, see, my dad I'm sure I've mentioned this many times was a professional baseball player in Sacramento. He's in the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame and I'm very proud of that. And so, monsignor, who knew my family so well, he used to watch my dad pitch. He'd go watch my dad pitch for the Solons. So he'd pick out random people. He'd want me to hold up after mass. Pick out a random couple, bonnie and Ed. Come here for a moment, bonnie and Ed.
Speaker 1:I'd like to meet Pat Walsh. First thing that he would say is that I work with Kitty O'Neill. Kitty, I hope you're hearing this. Pat Walsh, ah, this is when I was the sports guy, before I was at talk shows. Ah, he's the sports guy on KFBK. You know he works with Kitty O'Neil. He was so proud to say that. And then he would tell them Ah, his father played baseball. Ah, he could throw that ball. He could throw the heat. He would brag about my dad man, how he could bring that heat man.
Speaker 1:I remember one time, a couple times, oh, okay, a couple more. One time he invited me into the rectory. I think your father might like these jokes I've got for you, yeah, and when I tell you that they were PG rated, I mean like like Reader's Digest me, and I put the jokes in there because they were so, so corny and clean, oh God. And he would just laugh what is it? I think it was something like ah, he's got the talking dog. What is his favorite baseball player of all time? I don't know, monsignor Roof roof? And he would just die laughing. He would just laugh and I was just like, oh man, one time, my girlfriend Elizabeth, just a sweetheart. Ah, come on back to the rectory, patrick. So Elizabeth and I go to the rectory after mass.
Speaker 1:As we're getting ready, as we're talking, as we're starting, he says I guess he came up with something like this. He looks at her and he says it's a pleasure, it's a pleasure to meet you, elizabeth. Are you a Catholic? Or maybe she said she was just coming from I don't know first time to a Catholic church, I can't remember exactly and he goes well, what are you then? And she says I'm a Baptist. I'll never forget what you do. He looks at her and he goes a Baptist are you? And he kind of balls up his fist and he hits himself in the chest A Baptist, Okay then. Oh, then, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, oh God, ah, god bless you, monsignor Kavanaugh.
Speaker 1:Monsignor Kavanaugh, jeez, he made such a big difference in not just my life but the life of so many, just like Freddie and Ernie in their own way, in South Sac Tales from South Sac on Pat's Beeps 208. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to play this. I pulled this record today. I actually was sitting out. It's a record that John Shook, who is the owner of Roseville Numismatics and Coin Shop, who is a local business that I support, a Pat's Peeps and Pat Walsh Show business he said, pat, I saw this for sale one day and I thought of you, because I know you collect records, and I just thought you had to have it. And boy, oh boy, it's a nice score. I'm going to actually play the flip side first. That's completely the opposite of what I usually do, of course. I'm going to play the flip side first and then I'm going to play the A side, the featured side, for Monsignor Cavanaugh and for Ernie and Freddie and for all these wonderful people and Freddie and for all these wonderful people. So John Shook says man, it's a Beatles record and I knew you had to have this, and so I'm very thankful to John for his kindness.
Speaker 1:This is on a red label. It's Capitol Records. This is not a red label, it's Capitol Records. This is not a promotional copy. This is like the release on the Capitol Records of this song Mono. This is a mono version on this side, the flip side, the B side, and this has always been a pretty trippy song for this band, for the Beatles. Very, I don't know what it is about this song One more time. Is it if it's haunting or if it's goofy? I'm not sure what to think of it, but it's the B side of this very famous song. March 6, 1970, although first issue with their final single, they recorded the song in four separate sessions, beginning with three in May, June of 67, during the sessions for Magical Mystery Tour, with one final recording session conducted April of 69 during the last sessions for Let it Be and Abbey Road.
Speaker 1:This song features a saxophone part played by Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. How many people know that the saxophone is Brian Jones of the Stones? It is a musical hall comedy number, which is what makes it so odd, with elements of a Latin style resembling Mambo, papa loves Mambo, mama loves Mambo. John Lennon comes up with a lyric title after seeing a phone book. He said that's a piece of unfinished music that I turned into a comedy record with Paul. I was waiting for him at his house. I saw the phone book was on the piano with. You know my name.
Speaker 3:Nothing or more. You know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know my name. Good evening and welcome to Slaggers, featuring Dennis.
Speaker 2:O'Bell and Rick O. Good evening. You know my name. You'll never. You know my name. Look up my number. You know my name, that's right. Look up my number. You know my name. You know my name. You know you know my name. You know my name. Bob's Peeps 207. You know my name, that's right. Look up and up. You know you know my name. You know you know my. Think I know their name. Do you know my name, baby? You know you know my name.
Speaker 1:I think I know their name. Do you know their name? That's the flip side of this incredible song that I am dedicating, as I said, to Monsignor Kavanaugh. Freddie and Ernie Love, all of you, life savers. God bless you. We'll see you on the radio.
Speaker 3:When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom. Let it be. And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me speaking words of wisdom. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. And when the brokenhearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer. Let it be, for though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see there will be an answer. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Yeah, there will be an answer. Let it be, Let it be, let it be, let it be. Let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
