THE SACRED HEART LEGACY

The Sacred Heart Legacy tells the history of the first African American Catholic congregation in the State of Michigan. It traces the origins of this congregation to the black Catholics of early Christianity and shows how this valiant group of people became the Sacred Heart parishioners, how they shook off the horror of US slavery and then progressed through the tumultuous years of segregation and disenfranchisement to the present day. It shows how the congregation began in the basement of St. Mary's School, acquired safe haven at St. Peter Claver Church and then survived numerous challenges to its existence to arrive at a position of renown and influence as the Sacred Heart Parish in modern day Detroit. The parishioners, interviewed in 2004, tell in their own words what membership in the parish means to them. Their descriptions amount to a Greek Chorus whose voices support the conclusions that the author draws from his background as an organization psychologist.



The book examines the role of the Church as a bureaucracy, concerned about its temporal existence, which must balance the demands of its several constituencies just as any other large, multinational organization must do. It also examines the role of the priest as a leader who must choose between organizational expediency and the Word of God in ministering to his flock. The book is, most of all, a celebration of the parishioners who have defied all odds to build themselves into a highly competent community of believers who are confident in their ability to carry on regardless of what the future holds. The Sacred Heart Legacy is, ultimately, intended to be a model for those who would combat the pernicious effects of the quest for wealth and power by adhering to the Word while collaborating with the disenfranchised of all races and creeds.