Father Sterling:
Shepherd of Poorest of the Poor
The Reverend Father Donald A. Sterling is the first African
American Priest to by ordain in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in the year of our
Lord 1974 on May 11th. He is the shepherd of the Poorest of the Poor
in the Archdiocese of Baltimore because of his commitment to the Black and
other minority communities in terms of ministering to their physical and
spiritual needs, while forgetting his own welfare.
In Baltimore, Maryland on May 25, 1793, Father Stephen
Theodore Badin becomes the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the United
States. The Archdiocese of Baltimore was established as a Diocese in the year
1789 and by simple arithmetic, it took the diocese approximately 4 years to have
Father Badin ordained as a priest and almost two centuries or 185 years to have
her first colored priest!
Trailblazers Black
Priests prior to Father Sterling in Baltimore
There were however trailblazers before the epiphany of Father
Sterling, as he is popularly called by everyone that encounter him.
We have
Father James Healy (1830 – 1900), the first Black priest ordained in 1854, but
outside the USA since at that time Blacks were not allowed to become a Catholic
priest. His father is an Irish immigrant. He later became the bishop of
Portland, Maine.
Then, we have Father Augustine Tolton (1854 – 1897) of Alton
Illinois the first Black slave to become a priest after being ordained in 1886
in Paris, France.
Last but not the least among the first of the first is Father
Charles Randolph Uncles (1859 – 1933), the first Black priest and also a
Baltimorean who in 1891 to be ordained in the USA, specifically in Baltimore.
1974: Father
Sterling, Pastor of the Poorest of the Poor
Father Donald A. Sterling, Pastor of the New All Saints
Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore was born and raised in
Baltimore City into a Catholic family. He began his priestly studies and
formation for the Archdiocese of Baltimore at the Resurrection College,
Kitchener, Ontario Canada! Between 1970 and 1974 he received his Bachelor of
Science degree and Master of Divinity respectively from St. Mary’s Seminary
College in Baltimore. In May 1974, he was ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus
Christ for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, becoming the FIRST
AFRICAN AMERICAN PRIEST in the Archdiocese.
The role played by Father Sterling transcend the traditional
in the sense that, he carry the burden of the past, present and the future
generation, as he constantly seek divine intervention and work hard to change
the status quo of his people infected with the detrimental consequences of a
broken system orchestrated by man inhumanity to man and fueled by fear,
ignorance and unfounded hatred for divergence, and the maxim of the necessity
for all to be our brother’s keeper. Even as he continued to carry the cross
enumerated above in addition to so many others that bothers on perceptions and
misunderstanding, his attitude remained focused on the needs of his people and
over and again, you hear him admonishing the faithful to always allow their
faith in God to be the guiding principles in their lives, irrespective of the
path they might eventually prefer.
His guiding faith principle has always been to “Remember
that God is in charge.”
The impact of Father Sterling especially among the Black
Catholics is better imagined than describe for so many reasons; he is a member
of many religious and community organizations including the National Black
Seminarians Association and, an EXCO of the National Federal of Priest’s
Council. A life- time member of the NAACP he served with the National Black
Catholic Clergy Caucus as a former president. He remained an active member of
the Priests’ Council of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. A very passionate,
articulate and spiritual pastor, a lecturer, revivalist and public speaker, but
surprisingly very guarded too, Father Sterling can light up a dark room, make
you cry and laugh for joy at the same time.
Mission Statement
At the New All Saints Roman Catholic Church community on
West Baltimore, he guided the congregation with the singular and audacious
Mission Statement which holistically stated and I quote
“New All Saints Congregation is a body of stewards of God’s
goodness who are called to witness our belief, hope and love of God through
prayer and worship (LITURGY), by actively loving our neighbors (SERVICE), by
sharing the Good News thus making disciples (EVANGELIZATION), by identifying
with the Body of Christ (FELLOWSHIP), and by establishing and forming one
another to become more like Christ (EDUCATION).”
Father Sterling, the shepherd of the poorest of the poor
through the articulation of the Mission Statement above has put into practice
various means to achieve the well being of the individual person in our faith
based community. The liturgy at New All Saints Catholic Church has remained one
of the most uniquely integrated forms of worship, merging traditional Catholic
hymns with a touch of Pentecostal and afro-centrism. The melodies are physically
and spiritually appealing and the Liturgical dance ministry is electrifying to
say the least to anyone opportune to worship in that church.
We must be our brother’s keepers and look out for each other
are words never too far from Father Sterling’s sermons irrespective of the
liturgical feasts or celebration of the Holy Eucharist. He pragmatically
demonstrated this necessity by aggressively encouraging donations of time and
resources to the church Pantry and the church also have the visible presence of
the St. Vincent de Paul network. Evangelization according to Father Sterling
means more than sharing the Good News or the Gospel! It entails the ability to
act as a medium of conversion, role model and the Lord Jesus Christ to our
neighbors too.
There are therefore various ministries within the church
that carry out various functions tailored toward the needs of the community.
The Legion of Mary for instance engages in the spreading of the Gospel through
members’ visitation to the hospitals, prisons and nursing homes and not to
mention to homes of folks that are in need of prayers and other spiritual
supports.
The fellowship at the church is exhilarating for various
reasons and even though is mostly African-American by virtue of location,
members are however not limited to such. In fact there are sizable numbers of
Caucasians and immigrants especially from Cameroon, Nigeria and Kenyan to name
but a few. The Christian formations are both in line with the Catholic
teachings and the pragmatism of our time, as Father Sterling has been able to
influence Catechists to focus on ways of uplifting the spiritual and physical
thirst of catechumen and their families. A visit to the New All Saints Roman
Catholic Church Christmas Vigil and listening to Father Sterling narrative on
the Nativity will convince you that this Man of God is indeed the curator of
the knowledge of ancient Egypt, of the origin of various religion and how
Christianity have been influenced by the uncountable traditions and yet
remained steadfast to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
For over forty years, Father Sterling has remained
dedicated, committed and resilient, and durable to his calling to shepherd his
people, and for all these years and counting, it is with gratitude to the
almighty God that our community and people have been blessed with the
generosity, pragmatism and humanity in the person of our pastor.
I will also like to share a brief personal experience with
this Man of God, who remained very humble at heart and open to everyone.
Personal Testimony
My first encounter with Father Sterling was in the year 2003
when I legally immigrated to the United States from Nigeria. After expressing
countless frustrations with a process that was so new, confusing and seemly
beneficial to those who could “milk” it or use the shortcut to get what they
need, he calmly prayed for me and by extension to my wife and kids who at that
time were still in Nigeria. There was also a comment he made that remained very
dear to me even to this very moment and as I grow old in the country over time
I begin to appreciate the wisdom in those words.
Then, my wife and kids joined me in the United States and I
began my practice as a medical scientist while at the same time worshiping at
New All Saints when time permits. By and large through the prayers and support
of Father Sterling, the process of integration without forgetting who I am was
easier than I anticipated.
My family was fortunate to have two of our children baptized
by Father Sterling with one coincidentally taking his middle name of Anthony,
of which we learned about just this year. I am experiencing another desert
phenomenon and I heavily rely on Father Sterling for help, especially based on
his own physical challenges that he may not really share but are obvious to
many of the parishioners. As the challenges come, he offers them to God and let
the almighty to do as he wills! This complete trust in divine intervention is
among the most unique and passionate expression of his commitment to God.
Heal and Clean Baltimore:
Freddie Gray!
Freddie Gray, an unarmed Baltimorean was terribly beaten by
some Police officers and on April 19, 2015 died at Johns Hopkins Hospital! The
initial justification for the arrest was that Mr. Gray has weapons, however
this claim later turned out to be false and all hell broke on April 27
following his funeral as Baltimore was engulfed in riots and anarchy to say the
least. Through this painful era, Father Sterling maintained a visible presence
in support of his “people” the “poorest of the poor”, yes, folks like me that
unfortunately can easily be subject of stereotypes and discrimination from the
same system intended to protect and provide for our safety.
When Catholics joined hand in an effort to heal and clean up
Baltimore after the riots, all Father Sterling could say about the April 27
violence was simple but precise when he stated that this event
“SPEAKS TO ME VERY LOUDLY THAT WE STILL HAVE GREAT DIVIDE IN THIS
COMMUNITY, WITH THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS. OBVIOUSLY THE REMNANTS OF RACISM STILL
AFFECT US IN TREMENDOUS WAYS…..”I THINK IT RAISES OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT
OF SOME KIND OF ONGOING CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE CITY, COMMUNITIES AND CHURCH.”(Catholic
Review)
Since the Freddie Gray crisis, Father Sterling has continued
his community based efforts to improve the lot in the society. Without doubt,
his contributions were instrumental to the emergence of the Shoprite Grocery
store opposite Calvin Rodwell Elementary School by working with the BUILD
organization to help transform our city from joints for drugs, crimes and
prostitution into an abode of haven for peace, comfort and safe neighborhood.
Call for Greater Recognition
Father Sterling is a custodian and an epitome of the
spirituality of the African- American Catholic faithful, while at the same time
recognizing and appreciating the innumerable diversities of the gifts of the
Holy Spirit among the various ethnic groups in the church of God. This
inclination is very evident in the manifestation of both the charismatic and Afro-centric
ways of worshiping at the New All Saints Catholic Church. It has the aura of
real Catholicism and a unique touch of Pentecostal in terms of the music and
liturgical dancers.
I have no question in my mind that Rome is already aware of
the uncountable ways that Father Sterling has continued to make the Catholic
Church relevant especially to the African- American communities in spite of the
inclination toward Pentecostalism, nevertheless I am personally of the opinion
that if there is any way or means available to elevate him, the church must as
a matter of fact pursue such path for posterity sake in the name of Jesus
Christ.
Having served the Roman Catholic Church and carry the burden
of being the representative of the people of color, especially of African-
Americans for over four decades, it will only be a token of appreciation by
both the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Rome to manifest to the faithful that
those who tread the path of righteousness and carry their cross even in the
midst of untold hardship deserve physical recognition, even as they await their
own crown of glory following the transition from this beautiful world made
wicked by man’s inhumanity to man.
Pictographic
Tributes
Thank You Father
Sterling
On this month of November in which the Church in the United
States celebrates the National Black Catholic History Month, I want to on
behalf of my family, express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Father
Sterling for his leadership, perseverance and endurance, his continued
witnessing to the faith and above all for accepting his responsibility of being
the shepherd of the poorest of the poor in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Sincerely with love,
Authors: Peter Odeh (Medical
Laboratory Scientist) & Helen Odeh (Registered Nurse) Baltimore, Maryland.
Contact (s): Email to abodeofhaven1@gmail.com,
Twitter @peterodeh_01 and Facebook @Focusinlove
