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 I have found that one's identity as a Black man
comes by nature and by nurture; that is, by God's blessings and by human
cooperation. In reflecting on Black manhood, I will reflect on who I am and
how I got to be this way, being a southern, Black Catholic priest and
Franciscan friar. I will share some of the ways I've been led to return
these gifts through the formation of the next generation of young Black men.
Lastly, I will offer some challenges still to be met for future Black men.
Growing up in predominantly Black Catholic New
Orleans afforded me security, opportunities and awareness that have shaped
my vision of African American Catholicism. I was blessed to have an
elementary school filled with my cousins, siblings, in-laws and friends,
mostly Catholic and all Black. The parish was staffed by the Sisters of the
Blessed Sacrament and the Josephites. I was directed from kindergarten to
pursue a childhood dream of priesthood and leadership. I can remember how
the sisters never let me step in the wrong direction, but put me "in the way
of grace" so that I could learn what service to God meant. I was always
under the watchful eye of family and teachers that showed me how to care for
others. I had no choice but to be good, obedient and respectful. If I would
slip, the news got home before I did. When I was not at school, I had the
Sisters of the Holy Family watching me, since my parents worked for them. I
learned many things from all the religious that I still use today.
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