USEFUL WISDOM 2024 # 39

PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

Every time I get overwhelmed and start feeling sorry for myself in ministry, I think of Father Elisha John Durbin who attended my home congregation of St. Theresa for seven years when it was only one of the many mission churches he served in three states.

 

In fact, only two years ordained and twenty-four years of age,  he was the priest who started registering baptisms at the mission church of St. Theresa's in March of 1824. Before that, baptisms were registered in the parish where the missionary priests resided. He personally baptized one hundred and sixty-two persons at St. Theresa alone, his very first entry being a five-day old baby by the name of George Greenwell! 

All I have to do, when I am overwhelmed by ministry, is walk over to St. Louis Cemetery, near my condo, and read his tombstone. It puts my problems in perspective in short order. 

Just imagine the dangers he faced riding 500,000 miles on horseback over the hills and through the woods into three states! 

He was ordained at age 22 (so young that he had to get a dispensation from Rome to be ordained). He served as a priest for 65 years, dying when he was 87 years old! 

The next time you wake up and think that it is just too much trouble to go to Sunday Mass, think of Father Durbin and the scattered Catholics he served! That should be it in perspective! 

Father Elisha John Durbin 

1800-1887

 

 

 

3 OLD CJ ARTICLES ABOUT OUR LOCAL BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY

 THE VENERABLE FATHER AUGUSTUS TOLTON

The first black priest ordained in the United States visited Louisville in 1892.

His mother was born, baptized and a parishioner in my home parish of St. Theresa in Rhodelia.

His grandmother, Matilda Chisley, is buried in our old St. Theresa Cemetery in Rhodelia.

HERE IS HOW THE COURIER-JOURNAL COVERED HIS LOUISVILLE VISIT IN 1892.

(The edits in red are mine - misspelling and known inaccuracies.

I copied much of this material from old hard-to-read CJ clippings.)  

#1

Courier-Journal, October 28, 1892

A COLORED PRIEST

Visit To Louisville of the Rev. Father Tolton, of Chicago.

Entertained At a Banquet Last Night Attended by Eighteen White Priests.

One of the two colored Catholic priests in the United States is in the city, and was entertained at a banquet last- night attended by eighteen priests of this city and vicinity. The priest is Father Tolton, of Chicago, pastor of a church there. The banquet was given in the schoolroom of St. Augustine’s church, at Fourteenth and Broadway, and was attended by about 400 of the communicants of the church, Father Colleton, of Raywick, made a welcome address. St. Peter’s Aid and Beneficial Society presented Father Tolton with a purse of $25. Father Tolton responded eloquently to this, and in the course of his remarks spoke of the progress of the colored people since the days of slavery.

Father Rock, of the Cathedral, also made remarks, assuring Father Tolton that; had the priests of the city known of his visit to Louisville more would have been present. He said that in the Roman Catholic Church 'there was no color line, and that all priests are equal.' Father John R. White, pastor of St. Augustine’s, is about to leave for Baltimore, and each speaker referred to him and the good work he has done while here.

On either side of Father Tolton at the table sat Prof- W. T Peyton and wife and William Watson and wife. Among the priests present were Fathers Rock, Raifo, White, Culletun, Higgins and Harrison. The banquet was arranged by Andrew Bells, Mrs. J. J. Payne and a number of other enthusiastic members of the congregation.

A. J. Bells and his music class gave a piano recital to Father Tolton, at 1915 Grayson Street, yesterday afternoon. Lydia Johnson made a welcome address and presented the colored priest with a handsome “Life of Columbus." The wife of Dr. E.S. Porter rendered a fine vocal solo.

Father Tolton is building a fine church in Chicago, to which city he will probably return tonight. He preached two eloquent sermons in St. Augustine’s church last Sunday. He is about thirty years of age and has a bright future. He completed his education in Rome, where he was ordained. He has been a priest six years.

#2

Courier-Journal, October 30, 1892

A “NEGRO’S” VIEWS

Talk With a Sensible Man Who Wants No  Euphemistic Title

Religion and Education Regarded as the Afro-American's Means of Advancement

His Trip Through the South Proves a Pleasant Surprise and He Finds Nothing Ill to Say

Catholics and the Colored Race

“You want me to tell you something about Afro-American Catholics. Very well. But first let me request that in your article you refer to me as a “negro,” not a “colored man,” said Father Tolton, the first Afro-American to be ordained into the priesthood. “Yes,” laughingly continued the priest, “I’m a negro, a wooly-headed n-e-g-r-o see?” and spelling out the word he inclined his head forward and jerked at the hair with his fingers to impress what he had said. “No, don’t call me a “colored man.”  It is all affectation when a negro wants to be called colored. The Almighty didn’t color him with dye. Negro is the word. Not ‘----;’ that’s worse than “colored’.” When the reporter had assured Father Tolton that his request would be granted, he proceeded to talk about his own race and its connection with Catholicism.

He has the distinction of being the only member of his race in this country who is pastor of a Catholic negro congregation. There is only one other negro priest in the United States, Father Uncles of Baltimore, but he is now a teacher in a Catholic college. Besides, Father Tolton was the first to be ordained. The ordination ceremony was performed on April 24, 1886 at St. John Lateran’s church in Rome, Italy. Father Tolton had been there six years. He took a two years’ course in philosophy and a four years’ course in theology. He was ordained by Cardinal Parocchi and he celebrated his first mass in St. Peter’s church at the Vatican on Easter Sunday.

Father Tolton is an unusually sensible man. While he is a strong champion of his race, he does not believe in shielding their errors, but rather in frankly in confessing them in the hope that it will be fruitful of good results. He came here to look up his family history, for his mother and grandparents were slaves on a Kentucky plantation. He related a part of it to the reporter. His mother belonged to Stephen Burch, of Meade County. She was afterwards given as a present to Stephen Elliot of Ralls County, Mo. His father was a convert to the Catholic faith. Father Tolton was baptized by Father LeFevre, the first priest of Chicago, riding into that city on horseback, there being no train; the first priest of Quincy, Ill., and afterwards Bishop of Detroit.

He was born in April 1854, the same year that a negro priest who had been ordained at Cork was sent to this country, but was compelled to return at once, not finding things pleasant on account of slavery. After returning from Rome Father Tolton went to Quincy, Ill., where he was made pastor of St. Joseph’s congregation. He became pastor of a congregation in Chicago in 1889.

In speaking of negro Catholics, he said that there were fully 200,000 in the United States. “Without meaning to be egotistical, I believe that the negroes who are members of the Catholic Church represent the most intelligent class of our race in this country. In numbers they are well advanced, but in organization the African-American Catholics are in their infancy. Even now there are comparatively few Catholic congregations where the negro can assert himself. They attend services at the white churches and are cordially received (no complaint on that point), but they have little to do with the church organization. Of course, in their present state of their growth we can expect nothing else, but the time is approaching when they will be self-assertive: they will have congregations and churches of their own, negro priests to conduct the services and, in fact, have organizations like the white Catholics.  In the south, I find many negro Catholics, but they are scattered and their work is consequently not effective. Being the only negro priest in this country actually in charge of a congregation, I am feeling rather lonesome and will welcome the time when there will be scores of us.

To change the subject from religion for a moment, I want to tell you of my impression of negro education in the South. Recently, I made an extended visit through that portion of the country and studied the question from as unbiased a standpoint as a man of my race could. I found that the Southern negroes had facilities for common school education far beyond my expectations. The buildings were generally good, and the teachers were fairly well equipped for work. The attendance was large at each school, but I believe there are not enough schools to accommodate all. So far as a common school education is concerned, I say they are fairly well provided for, but if a negro in the South wants a higher education, he cannot get it there. But I think times are rapidly changing for the better in that respect. Another thing I want to admit. I did not find the enormous amount of prejudice against the negro that I expected. I was treated well by the Southern white people, and, remember no incident of which I could complain.

How many people of your own city know that right here at Fourteenth and Broadway is a negro Catholic congregation perhaps larger than any Louisville church, of whatever race, can boast. They number between 2,000 and 3,000. They have a white priest, Father White, for a pastor, but in all other respects it is entirely under the charge of negro members. It is an encouraging sign for our race. They are above the average of many other cities in intelligence and general conduct. The people of our race in this city have as fine a system of schools as I have seen anywhere and they should be proud of it. I fear all of them do not fully realize what advantages they have here in this respect.  I do not think it will be long before the negro Catholics of Louisville will have a priest of their own.

#3

Courier-Journal December 11, 1892 

FIRST OF HIS RACE.

Sketch of Father Augustus Tolton, the Only Negro Priest Sent from Rome.

Personal Gossip and Matters of Interest About the Colored People of Louisville.

The Rev. Father Augustus Tolton, who filled the pulpit of the St. Augustine church, of this city a short while ago, is the first and only negro priest ever sent from the church of Rome to this country. He is of pure African descent, and his ordination created a sensation. He was born a slave in Ralls County, Mo., April 1, 1854. His lot was that of other persons in bondage. When the war broke out his father joined the Union army, and died in a hospital at St. Louis from the effect of wounds received on the field. His mother, Martha Jane Tolton, was a Kentuckian, and a woman of great daring, and after her husband had enlisted in the army, she made her escape from slavery, locating at Quincy, Ill. She carried her young Tolton and her only daughter, nine years old.

Young Tolton early life was a continual warfare with privation, bitter disappointments and abject poverty. When he was seven years of age, he was sent to a tobacco factory to work, and followed this for twelve years. In 1872 the work proved too much for him, and he was compelled to look about for another occupation. He- secured a place as porter in a store, and after working all day he would sit up half the night studying and reading. In his nineteenth year he was entered as a student at St. Boniface school, an institution for white people, and while there made surprising progress, but, on account of race troubles, his advancement was brought to a rude standstill. Subsequently he became a student in the Lincoln school, and remained here until he matriculated in Father McGirr’s school. Father McGirr’s school had been a school for white persons, but on learning of young Tolton’s treatment, he closed it to whites and made it a school for colored people. He invited Tolton to enter and from the start took deep interest in him. In 1863 he left Father McGirr’s school and began the study of Latin, Greek, German, Hebrew and Homiletics under Fathers Astrup and Theodore Wegman. They suggested to him the propriety of preparing for the priesthood, and he made up his mind to act upon their suggestion. He prosecuted his studies under them with great diligence, and remained with them until they left Quincy. After their departure he became very despondent-: it seemed that his dream of becoming a priest would never be realized. But a circumstance soon happened that altered at least temporarily this condition. A priest in Nurtiurn Missouri engaged his mother as housekeeper, and agreed to assist him with his studies. But their stay here was of short duration. By this time powerful white friends, however, had become interested in him and sent him to Propaganda College, Rome, where he was graduated in due time and received the honors of priesthood.

CELIBACY: A SURE-FIRE WAY TO QUIT PASSING ON MY UGLY GENES?

It is not uncommon for people to pity me for not getting married and having a family of my own! I usually just chuckle happily to myself and let it slide. 

I came across this cartoon recently that caused me to laugh out loud! Maybe this cartoon will help some of those people understand my decision better than giving them some long tedious unconvincing theological explanation about the "beauties" of clerical celibacy. My new excuse? "I am doing the world a favor!"  

DON'T STOP AT BEING "GOOD," GO FOR BEING "GREAT"

Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,

"You are lacking in one thing...then come follow me."

Mark 10:17-27

Before Catholics stopped going to weekly confession in great numbers, we used to hear confessions at the Cathedral, when I was a new pastor there, for at least an hour every day. Downtown churches are traditionally places where people go to Confession to be anonymous - be it parishioners coming downtown from around the city or conventioneers and vacationers staying in the downtown hotels from across the country.

Most of those confessions would put you to sleep, some would move you to tears and a few would curl the hair on your head! You never knew what might be coming at you when you took your chair inside those confessionals. As a penitent who was yelled at by a priest as a child, I am very patient with those who come to confession, especially those who have not been to confession for a very long time. (I think his exact words were “You did what?” I was also convinced that everyone in line heard him! ) Because of that experience, I try to be very patient with those who come to me for confession. I still remember one scared old lady telling me, as she was leaving the confessional, “I have never had anybody to talk that nice to me!” I was so touched that I recorded her words in one of my journals. When I read that journal entry today, I am always reminded of the power of compassion in the confessional.

The only penitents, that I would have to bite my lip over, were not those who returned week after week having done the same old things, but the ones who confessed this way, “Bless me, Father, I don’t know what to tell you. I didn’t take the name of the Lord in vain. I didn’t gossip. I didn’t miss Sunday mass. I didn’t commit adultery. My parents are dead, so I didn’t disobey or disrespect them.” I didn’t do this! I didn’t do that!” Frankly, it bordered on bragging! I would never actually do it, but I have always secretly wanted to say, “Well, goody for you! Now go out and do something before you come back in here!” I emphasize – I never actually said it! I just wanted to!

Thinking back, what was so curious about those “I-didn’t-do-anything-wrong confessions” was the person’s obvious belief that sin is only about doing bad things. People who look at sin that way, reduce their discipleship to simply avoiding bad things. For one who is a serious disciple, avoiding bad things is where you start, not where you should end up as disciples.

When we focus our discipleship simply on avoiding doing bad things, we ask way too little of ourselves and we do way too little for God. Christianity is not just about avoiding evil, but even more so about doing good - about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. When we focus just on avoiding evil, we are like the rich young man in the gospel that was just read. He was a good kid, who was able to say to Jesus, “I have observed all these commandments since my youth. I never did this! I never did that! I never did such and such!” But neither had he done anything great, anything heroic or anything wholeheartedly for God with the blessings he was given in life! Remember the words of Jesus, “To whom much is given, much will be required?” They were spoken to people like him, and people like us, who are given much in life.

Jesus did not get irritated at this young man’s proud confidence in his own ability not to break the commandments. In fact, it says that Jesus “looked at him with love.” Jesus was obviously pleased with his basic goodness, but after his affirming smile, Jesus hit this young man right between the eyes with a challenge. “Yes, you have avoided evil and that is good, but now do something great, do something positive, do something heroic. You are rich and satisfied, yes, but I believe that you are now ready for greatness. Let go of the trust you have in your financial security and transfer that trust to me. Use the “much” that you have been given to help others! Keep your basic goodness, but now do something great for God!

For this young man, it was not about having, or not having money, it was about what he was giving his heart to! He kept God’s commandments, yes, but his heart was with his money! It says that the young man’s “face fell” and he “went away sad” because he couldn’t “let go” of all his things. He could avoid bad things, but he couldn’t do the great things, the heroic things! He couldn’t make the leap from spiritual mediocrity to spiritual greatness. God did not say, “Love me with part of your heart, part of your soul and part of your mind,” but “love me with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole mind.”

Sisters and brothers, the “Confiteor” is part of an ancient penitential rite in the Mass. Most of us grew up on it. The “Confiteor” is still one of the options for the penitential rite at the beginning of Mass. It is regaining popularity, especially among the young. I like it because, in it, we confess “what we have done” and “what we have failed to do.” It clearly reminds us that there are two ways to sin: doing bad things, as well as failing to do good things.

Today, through the story of the rich young man in the gospel we just read, Jesus is asking us to look at sin in a new way. Instead of looking at sin in the old way of “doing bad things,” we need to look at sin also as a “failure to do good things,” especially when we obviously have the opportunity to do so! We should not just regret the bad things we have said to others. We should also regret what we didn’t say when we had the chance. Sometimes, withholding an encouraging word from people who could use it is just as bad as cursing them!

I believe in this kind of spirituality. I try my best to practice it. As many of you know, I used to write a weekly column in The Record newspaper. I wrote it weekly for fifteen years. I called it “An Encouraging Word.” The whole purpose of that column was not to look around for sins to condemn, (there are enough Catholic writers doing that) but to train myself to rather look around and find good behaviors that I could affirm and honor right here in our city and in our diocese - people who needed celebrating or situations in need of some tender loving care.

Friends, in this homily I am trying to remind us that maybe our biggest sins are not those things we do or say to hurt each other, but those hundreds of small things we fail to do and fail to say to encourage and build each other up. Yes, withholding “encouraging words,” what we fail to say, could actually be our worst sins. The gospel today calls us to move from “merely good” to “simply great!” Just as "every snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty," our hundreds and hundreds of "what we have failed to dos" is what makes the world an avalanche of meanness and cruelty for so many people.

As many of my readers know, I have been influenced by

some books from "out of my field." It comes from a belief I have that the truth is the truth no matter who tells it! Recently, I mentioned VIRTUOUS LEADERSHIP: An Agenda for Personal Excellence. It's a book about how the Christian virtues can empower business leaders. It is worth reading and studying even if you are not a leader in the business world. 

Today, after reading the story of Jesus challenging a "good" young man to move to a "great" young man, I thought of the Jim Collins book GOOD TO GREAT: Why Some companies Make the Leap - and Others Don't. It, too, is worth spiritual reading and intense studying even if you are not a leader in the business world.