From Connections-My first exposure to the Episcopal Church was in 1954 when I first moved to Lincoln Heights outside Cincinnati, along with my dad and two brothers. The city prided itself as being one of the few all black cities in the country, having a black mayor, city council, police and fire chiefs and other municipal workers.
My best friend at the time was William “Billy” Schooler. Billy’s family were members of St. Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church in Lincoln Heights. The church was founded by the Sisters of the Transfiguration, an order of nuns affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The nuns and the church operated a school K through 8th grade at the time. (Later, when my youngest son became of school age in the early 60s, his mother and I enrolled him in the school and became involved in the Parents and Teachers committee there.)
St Simon’s rector, the Rev. James ”Jim” Francis, was also the headmaster of the school. He was a community activist and allowed the church to be used as a meeting place for those of us who were engaged in the civil rights struggle and who embraced the “Black Power” philosophy that was prevalent at the time.
More here-
http://www.dsoconnections.org/2017/08/28/a-memoir-being-black-in-the-episcopal-church/
No comments:
Post a Comment