Introduction

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. – Thomas Jefferson

Not all that long ago, President George H.W. Bush used his inaugural address to usher in, "A New World Order”. After the collapse of the World Trade Center, his son demanded an unquestioning loyalty for his War on Terrorism. Anyone who dared to oppose him was branded an “Enemy of the State”. What followed was the USA Patriot Act and it dramatically reduced individual freedom and multiplied the tools of law enforcement. The stock market tanked in 2007 and with his message of “Hope and Change,” our first black president was catapulted into office. Barack Obama used the looming crisis to expand federal power on an unprecedented scale. He bailed out banks, nationalized car companies and took over healthcare.

In a rapid response that was reminiscent of the 1773 Boston Tea Party, irate citizens began confronting the government with a modern day Tea Party of their own. Angry citizens began by protesting at town hall meetings, but the movement soon spilled out onto the streets like a wildfire and patriotic rallies were soon being held from sea to shining sea. In 2010, Tea Party candidates took over the House of Representatives and won major victories in their respective states, but these same patriots were unable to take back the Senate and the President was also reelected. Obsessed with a progressive agenda; Obama threatened to take away our guns and bypass Congress if he didn’t get what he wants.

What happened to the America that our ancestors knew and loved? Do we even know or remember what a limited Constitutional government looks like? When did everything become so corrupt? Can we ever get that freedom back? Although today’s tyrants make easy targets for our anger; this present darkness that we find ourselves living in is actually spiritual in nature. Founding Father and former President John Adams once warned us that our Constitution was “designed strictly for a self disciplined, moral and religious people.” He went on to remind us that our Republic is, "completely inadequate for the governing of any other.” So what is the unvarnished truth about our own personal adherence to moral values and the faithful practice of our glorious religion? Have we reaped what we have sown?

Patrick Callahan was baptized a Roman Catholic and raised in a small peaceful town outside the city of Camden, New Jersey, by parents who loved him. Although Patrick began life with the benefit of loving parents and a faith filled community, the entire American culture was Asleep in the Light. The child grew up enjoying all the freedoms America had to offer, but he eventually fell prey to the siren songs of the sixties and nearly lost his country along with his faith in God. Listening to him tell this intimate tale is something akin to being a fly on the wall. Transported back in time; Patrick takes us with him, as he navigates a wild and dangerous ride down the rapids of change, right smack in the middle of the Cultural Revolution in America.

Some of his reflections sound delightfully familiar, while other passages are not nearly as pleasant and a few of the stories are downright indecent. This book is not for children, nor is it for those who are quick to condemn. The mythical memoir will speak to those curious souls who are willing to learn, ponder and grow, while reflecting upon their own experiences of growing up in America. Although a work of fiction; Patrick Callahan reveals a world seldom shared with this level of candor and reflection.

The Greatest Generation lived the rough and tumble life of freedom and clearly understood their duty toward God, their family and the country. Many of them have since passed away, but their children received the benefits of their grit and wisdom. In addition they grew up during the Great Depression and because times were tough, their large families were very close knit, faith was central and freedom was still a lived experience. The phenomenal economic growth that followed WWII made life easier for most Americans and the Fifties were considered to be a golden age. Tragically, Kennedy’s assassination brought an end to the innocence of Camelot and by the end of the Sixties, a cultural tsunami had transformed America’s dominantly Christian nation into a pagan one. Generations X, Y & Z have never known the economic deprivation of their ancestors and are very adept at gaming the system. However, spiritually they are steeped in a kind of religious relativism; they confuse tolerance with indifference and license with liberty. Today vast numbers of Americans routinely give up their rights for the intoxicating illusion of security. People from almost every age group believe they are entitled to something from the government and most fail to see any relationship between freedom and individual responsibility.

Our faith, our morals, our system of government and even our economy bear the scars of our anarchistic lifestyle and the consequences continue to unfold. Despite his tragic and sinful journey, Patrick Callahan remains optimistic and his naked confession reveals the reason behind his faith. This once great nation of ours now teeters on the brink of economic, political and moral collapse. Men of inspiration and vision once designed and built a shining city on a hill. America’s dream of freedom is real and some of us have lived that dream; but we are losing it because we have been Asleep in the Light. The life of Patrick Callahan can show us the way to recapture that vision and rebuild our country.

Chapter 1

Small Town Roots


Sacred Heart Church stands like a fortress at the corner of Broadway and Ferry Avenue in the once thriving city of Camden, New Jersey. The traditional parish sanctuary with its thick black stone walls is still located about five miles down the road from Saint Peter’s Church in Merchantville. Many years ago a young woman knelt down at the white marble altar rail and fingered the beads of her rosary. She was praying for the grace to be a good wife and mother. At a nuptial Mass held on February 7th 1953, Tom Callahan and Theresa Fitzgerald were married at Sacred Heart Church. Life would not begin easy for the young couple, but the bride’s request would eventually be granted. After suffering the heartache of a miscarriage, the doctors at Cooper Hospital presented the young newlyweds with their first born son on the first of April. The birth of the lad brought healing to the family and also the humor of April Fools Day jokes. On April 18, 1954 Patrick Michael Callahan was baptized in the font of the Sacred Heart.