Thursday, November 10, 2016

Father Sterling: Shepherd of Poorest of the Poor

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

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