Catholic Charities hires priest to work on racial equality, diversity

Published: 2007-07-26

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Precious Blood Father Clarence Williams has been chosen as Catholic Charities USA's new director of racial equality and diversity initiatives. Father Williams, director of black Catholic ministries in the Archdiocese of Detroit for the last 12 years, starts the new job Sept. 1. A consultant to Catholic Charities for about nine years, Father Williams told Catholic News Service July 25 he would "hit the ground running," visiting local Catholic Charities agencies around the country to share his approach on race relations, which he calls "racial sobriety." Father Williams is the author of the new book, "Racial Sobriety: Becoming the Change You Want to See," as well as "Racial Sobriety: A Journey From Hurts to Healing" and "Recovery From Everyday Racisms." A Cleveland native, he was the first African-American from that diocese to be ordained. He has served the past 30 years in the Archdiocese of Detroit, both as parish pastor and in the black Catholic ministry office.

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