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By Suzanne Haugh
ATLANTA—Charles Prejean replaced Howard Brown as director of
the Office for Black Catholic Ministry in the Atlanta Archdiocese effective
April 10.
“We’re very grateful for the work Howard’s done ...
He’s brought the office to this point and it’s time to take this next
step,” said Betti Knott, director of operations for the archdiocese.
Under Brown, who assumed the position of director in 1994, the
Office for Black Catholic Ministry sponsored and organized events such as the
annual Kwanzaa celebration, Black Heritage Month and “It’s a Family
Affair,” a summer gathering for the African-American community.
As to what he joyfully accepts as an enormous challenge, Prejean
said, “I’m filled with energy...”
A member of Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Atlanta since 1968,
Prejean comes to the position with decades of experience in community
development and a deep faith life.
“There’s tremendous diversity in Atlanta’s Catholic
community. There are folks from all over the world; it’s like a microcosm
of the world ... Being a student of history and political science, it excites
me to get involved with such a rich group of cultures.”
Prejean expressed his desire to communicate this richness to
others.
“The uniqueness in the black community can be further
enhanced and allowed to give expression and lend to the richness. We learn much
from other cultures and certainly can contribute to the general diversity and
richness we already have.”
As director, Prejean sees it as his “good fortune to be a
part of the richness” in Atlanta, which some describe as “the mecca
of black Christianity.” On an ecumenical note, he hopes to join with
Protestant blacks and those of other religions in offering ecumenical and
interfaith events.
While Prejean plans to read up on the office’s development
since its beginning, he will also listen to those who have contributed to it.
“I do know that this office has been around for quite some
time and that a lot of parishes have assisted with its programs. I’m
anxious to meet the pastors and lay leadership from the parishes ... to get a
sense of the (office’s) activities, rhythm and relationships. It does have
a mission and goals; that’s a good thing. (What remains) is how to
transition them into specific programs.”
Prejean plans to use the input he receives from others involved in
the ministry, his “creative and innovative mind” and past experience
to fashion “relevant” programs.
A past director of the Office for Black Catholic Ministry and now
pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Father Bruce Wilkinson has known Prejean for
almost 20 years.
“He’s a deeply spiritual man. He and his wife, their
whole family is grounded in Christian values, particularly peace and
justice.”
An active parishioner, Prejean helped to re-establish an active
pastoral council at Blessed Sacrament and has served as its chairperson for a
number of years. Prejean has led different prayer groups and has worked with
eucharistic ministers and lectors.
“He has served in many different ways in leadership roles,
both officially and unofficially ... He really has centered on being a lay
minister in the church and, ... (as) a leader in the church, he has
consistently shown that with his actions.”
As a pastor, Father Wilkinson hopes the vision under the new
directorship will include an office that serves as “a vehicle, a way of
coordinating the community on issues, not only concerning my parish, but other
parishes and the larger number of black Catholics.” And as a pastor, he
“seeks a voice among all the many voices (in the community) to bring the
black Catholic viewpoint” before those in the archdiocese.
If Prejean’s past and current commitment to serve others is
any indication of what is to come, his voice rings loud and clear. He remains
an active volunteer for Catholic Social Services and currently serves on its
governing board. The people he works with and for remain one of his main
motivations. He feels “humbled,” he said, when working to make a
difference in other people’s lives.
His missionary spirit dates back to an earlier age. Having spent
five years in the seminary, Prejean said that when he realized his vocation was
not to the priesthood he made “a deal with God.”
“I was to remain active as a lay minister doing missionary
work in the lay community. I did that with my community development work in
Louisiana. I did that working for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. I
did that in the classroom—a couple of years in high school and four years
at the college level. I also spent two years working with the federal
government as regional director for the Corporation for National Service.”
In earlier days, Prejean taught French and history at Holy Rosary
Institute in Lafayette, La., his home state.
He then began working with organizations implementing
socio-economic development programs, relying mostly on the self-help approach,
targeted toward rural and other populations in the South. While working for one
such organization, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Prejean also
received a master’s degree in political science at Atlanta University. He
spent 17 years working for FSC, becoming its executive director from 1976-86.
He went on to serve as a consultant for the Office of the President of the
Atlanta City Council before teaching political science as an assistant
professor at Xavier University of Louisiana from 1989-93. He was a visiting
professor at the University of Notre Dame for one semester in 1991.
He returned to community development work when appointed by the
White House as the Southern director of the Corporation for National Service
from August 1994 to December 1996. In this role, Prejean oversaw volunteer
programs such as VISTA in 10 states.
Since then, he and his wife were jointly pursuing community
development work on their own with different groups in Mississippi and southern
Missouri when he heard about the position as director.
Prejean will add another chapter in his life of lay ministry using
what personal resources God has entrusted to him.
“God’s gift to me is to work well with folks. I have
strong interpersonal skills and a strong love of people,” he said.
“...The big thing is that we’re all in sync with the
archdiocese’s spiritual rhythm, using God’s gifts to us all to make a
contribution in our parishes and in our neighbors’ lives.” |
