Father Nate Harburg's great-grandfather was the popular American song lyricist and librettist, Yip Harburg (1896 - 1981), who co-wrote the 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz along with composer, Harold Arlen. Indeed, it was Yip Harburg who penned the words to the song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Yip Harburg was also an ardent critic of religion and a signatory of the Secular Humanist Manifesto. So how did his great-grandson end up becoming a priest? In this short film, Father Nate visits Lansing Catholic High School's production of The Wizard of Oz in order to recount the story of his family's journey towards Jesus Christ and His Holy Church.
Father Nate Harburg is a native of Ann Arbor. He is priest of the Diocese of Saginaw where he currently serves as Pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Ubly.