Black Catholics YES! – listen now

Fr. Fleury is the Associate Pastor of Blessed Sacrament/Our Lady of the Divine Shephard Church in Trenton, NJ.  Angela Dodson interviewed him on many topics starting from his childhood.  The conversations delves into his journey of becoming a priest and his transition from the Congo into the United States from comparing differences in language, worship, culture and more.  He will discuss his goals and missions for the future and what direction he feels the church needs to go.

In this interview with Father Edward A. Tetteh he talks about his upbringing in Accra, Ghana and how he was introduced to the catholic church, how he happen to come to the United States and the difficulties to adjusting to the new culture, how he found the African American culture to be very different from Ghana, what attracts him to counseling and how it fits in with his work as a priest, how he ended up coming back to BS/OLDS and the changes he noticed with finances and parishioners, how he manages a diverse church and his vision for the parish, his impressions of Pope Francis and his thoughts about the future of the catholic church worldwide.

Deacon Alex Jones of Detroit converted to the Catholic faith after serving as a Pentecostal Pastor for many years. He brought his family and a good portion of his former congregation into the church with him. He graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education, and received a Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He also taught in the Detroit school system for 28 years. In the city of Detroit he was the Senior Minister of two churches: Zion Congregational Church of God in Christ and Maranatha Christian Church. He was ordained as a Permanent Deacon and retired from the position of Evangelization Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He retired as Deacon at St. Suzanne/OLGH and as Pastoral Associate at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church. He published a book about his experiences titled, “No Price Too High; A Pentecostal Preacher Becomes Catholic”.

In part 1 of this interview he talks about his childhood, his journey to becoming a priest and his role model.

Father Anthony Bozeman was raised in Philadelphia, educated at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish School a West Philadelphia Catholic High School, and attended LaSalle University in Philadelphia.  He has won many honors and served as a presenter of numerous retreats, missions and revivals.  He is well-known in the Diocese of Trenton because when he served in a parish near Trenton, in Langhorne Pennsylvania, he was a frequent visitor and homilist to the former parish at Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd.
 

In part 2 of this interview he talks about his current parish, his work with Xavier Prep, his role in the organization of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and Pope Francis.

Father Anthony Bozeman was raised in Philadelphia, educated at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish School a West Philadelphia High School, and attended LaSalle University in Philadelphia.  He has won many honors and served as a presenter or numerous retreats, missions and revivals.  He is well-known in the Diocese of Trenton because when he served in a parish near Trenton, in Langhorne Pennsylvania, he was a frequent visitor and homilist to the former parish at Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd.

Yes, there are Black Catholics!

Angela Dodson interviews Dave Wilson and Francis Kollie from the Knights of St. John International. The Knights of St. John International is a Roman Catholic men’s fraternal organization that stands for the virtues of faith, hope and charity. The knights started in the United States after the Civil War and grew to provide aid and comfort to the people. It was incorporated in New York State in 1886 under its Patron Saint John the Baptist. In 1992, the Knights of St. John added International to its name and continues to grow around the world with the presence in eighteen countries. Members are of all races. The Commandery in Trenton, New Jersey, was officially formed in November 2009. Dave Wilson is the Worthy President and Francis Kollie is the founder. They are both from Liberia.

In this interview they will talk about what the Commandery has been doing since its formation in 2009, what their roles are, membership criteria, youth activities, their backgrounds, evangelization, the Pope and goals for the Commandery’s future.

Reverend Monsignor Federico A. Britto is the founding Pastor of St. Cyprian Parish in West Philadelphia, Chaplain of The Knights of St. John International, previously served as Pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish, serves on the Board of Trustees of Newmann University, Mercy Catholic Medical Center and St. Ignatius Nursing Home. He has also received many honors and serves many other organizations. He was ordained in 1982 and earned and Masters degree from Neumann University.

In this interview he talks about what is was like growing up in Philadelphia, what attracted him to the priesthood and the process he took, what he does to encourage vocations, preparing for Pope Francis’ visit, and his multiple roles.