February 2005 - Father Joe Dyer
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- St. Paul, Galations 3:26-28
His salt-and-pepper beard and scholarly glasses slipping low on his nose bespeak of Father Joe Dyer's tough history and experience in dealing with tenuous race relations in the Deep South of kudzu-tangled Mississippi.
Father Joe's approach to race relations is quiet, but forceful and steady. He recalls the historically significant date when St. Augustine seminary's first black priest was invited to Lafayette, La. when the rules of Southern etiquette forbade the shaking of a black man's hand in public. The rector at the reception ignored the unspoken rule and grasped the new priest's hand - and another racial barrier came tumbling down.
"Not all heroes of black history are famous," said this month's Hidden Hero. "Not all did front-page stuff. Most, in fact, are obscure. They are women and men like Father Burgess who had the courage to take a stand right where they were."
He pauses to shake his head. "Imagine our country and state if all of us, regardless of race, decided that at least once in our lifetime we would not cooperate with the racism that is systemic in our social institutions." And then he smiles. "It might not get us all the way back to Eden, but we would be a Heaven of a lot closer."
A "Heaven of a lot closer" is the direction Father Joe has pursued for the past year as priest at Sacred Heart, a predominately white parish in Canton, Mississippi, and Holy Child Jesus, an African-American parish started in 1946 by the Missionary Servants of Most Holy Trinity.
The humble 60-year-old native of New Orleans downplays the excitement and coverage that he received from the local press when he was assigned to serve here. In the past year he has diligently fostered cooperation and planned social activities to bring the two parishes together. And quietly, steadily, it's working.
The two groups get together for activities such as parish council workshops, Confirmation preparation, and training for liturgical ministries. Each year, both parishes (and indeed, the entire community) come together for an annual fundraiser for Holy Jesus School.
"Parishioners from Sacred Heart play a crucial part in making the fundraiser happen," Father Joe said. "It's not unusual for whites and blacks to worship together on any given Sunday now. Going from parish to parish is not the issue it used to be."
And when he saw the recent influx of Hispanics into both of his parishes this past year, Father Joe embraced the idea of extending the best kind of welcome to them imaginable. He learned Spanish so that they would be able to celebrate Mass in the comfort of their Native language. He's making significant inroads in gathering the entirety of his flock in an enormous and spiritually satisfying sign of peace that sustains them in their daily lives.
Quietly uniting people through faith.It's working. Father Joe is right about all the heroes of black history not being famous. We hope he doesn't mind us making him a "little bit" famous by naming him our Hidden Hero this month.
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