Generalboy remembers: Father Harry
I don’t know how, or why it came to me, but a conversation in the last few days suddenly brought back recollections of a radio public service announcement from years ago. This guy with a sort of drawling american accent would relate some cautionary tale, and then conclude the lesson with , Father Harry, God Squad. It usually had classic rock as the backing track, to bolster street cred.
It’s weird… because I long held onto a vision of The God Squad as some sort of born again Christian Bikie Gang ( interesting footnote… their scripture reading evenings would be outlawed under legislation currently being tabled in TinyTown Parliament regarding outlaw motorcycle gangs ) that roamed the land on Harley Davidsons, turning wayward kids onto Jebus via the mystical and emotive throbbing of a gigantic v-twin engine. How wrong I was!
If it’s at all possible, the God Squad were somehow lamer than even I had previously thought. For starters, there seemed to be no “squad” as such. If there was, surely we would have heard readings from Father Baz, and Father Barney, and not just Father Harry. I held out some hope that perhaps Father Harry was a lone campaigner, tearing across the midwestern prarie plains on an apocalyptic sounding hog, the wind whistling through his generous beard, donned in black leather and a bandanna. But sadly, Father Harry was just this guy, and the “squad” were a mere afterthought. I must admit feeling a bit cheated believing otherwise for all those years. Had I known Father Harry looked like this, I would have been even less impressed.
But I do recall my friends and I always used to imitate the radio ads, making up our own ridiculous and inappropriate parables for cheap laughs. We conjured all the wit of fifteen year old boys with chestnuts like “buy some drugs - get stoned; Father Harry, God Squad”, or “Jesus watched you wanking - go to hell; Father Harry, God Squad”. You have to imagine it with the accent, of course.
I did manage to track down Father Harry via the magic of the interweb, and it turns out he has since been made a Monsignor, real name Harry Schlitt. I also believe the 800 odd recordings, all around a minute in length, are still in wide circulation in the Southern States of the USA.
Here is a sample of Father Harry’s work, and while I have no idea what the moral of the story is, the image of the guy’s frozen hand falling off is priceless!
Enjoy. 
Hmm… can’t get link to work. God Squad sounds like a hoot! Wasn’t there some TV show called Mod Squad? I wonder if it was a take off.
God Squad sounds cooler than the God botherers that doorknock the bejaysus our of us these days.
LOL, sounds hilarious… so did ya learn some good lessons from Father Harry of the God Squad or what?
I think the Australian division were alive and well in the early 90s because The God Squad came to visit my old high school when I was in year 9 (the year of unholiness in high school students) to jam with the kids about the teachings of the lord. They all rode into the parking lot with their Harley’s and leathers and mean looking side burns and were totally…nice. I have to say, even though we had some of the meanest little bastards in my year we all totally loved TGS (as soon as they left we all turned back to Satan again).
Cléa: grrr… it’s only in RealPlayer format… sorry! And yes… there sure was a TV show called Mod Squad. One of the main characters looked like a friend of my dad’s, so when I was junior boy I used to call him “Uncle Mod Squad”!!
steph: Yeah… they sounded cooler, but in reality they were just as bad!!!
LB: You’ve read me for quite a while now. Do I LOOK LIKE I have learnt anything from Father Harry??? ROFL
Mez: OMG!!!! I heard about this happening too!!! Maybe this is where I got the idea about the saintly bikers??? I mean they never came to my school but I remember hearing about them going to other schools. Wow… so I didn’t imagine the whole thing? The GOD SQUAD really existed and were just as I imagined!!! I’m glad to hear you quickly reverted to flying the flag for the Dark Lord ROFL. Thanks Mez!!!
Father Harry’ God Squad started in Springfield Missouri in the 60’s at a local radio station (KICK). He was assigned to St. Agnes Cathedral parish.
On a whim I Googled ‘Father Harry’ and found this site. I worked at the radio station (KICK) in Springfield, Missouri in 1969-1972. Father Harry was broadcasting his ‘God Squad’ messages at that time. He was star player on the radio station basketball team (The Mighty Mouths) and set the standard for after game beer consumption.