A Guyanese priest is leading efforts to canonise an Irish-American priest who dedicated his life and ministry to black Catholics - African-Americans and Caribbean immigrants.

“Father Quinn stands apart from the rest of humanity, because at his time he was far ahead of both the church and civil society in recognising the full humanity of African-Americans,” Fr Paul Jervis told the New York Daily News in December.

Fr Jervis, born in Guyana, is parish priest of St Peter Claver church, located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of New York. Fr Jervis, who will return to Guyana later in the year to celebrate his 25th anniversary as a priest, published a book Quintessential Priest: The Life of Father Bernard J Quinn.

The parish was founded by Msgr Bernard J Quinn, who was born in New Jersey on January 15, 1888. Fr Quinn, who died at the age of 52, founded his congregation in 1922 after he was granted permission by his bishop to establish a Church for black Catholics in Brooklyn.

At that time, blacks were not welcomed in Catholic churches in Brooklyn and had to journey to a Catholic church set aside for blacks in Manhattan. Quinn, the son of Irish immigrants, devoted much of his life to the betterment of blacks not only at St Peter Claver.

He built a community centre a block from the church. One of his major achievements was an orphanage called the Little Flower House of Providence, Long Island. The Klu Klux Klan burnt the building down twice but each time Msgr Quinn ensured it was rebuilt.  The Klan threatened Fr Quinn with death but he defied them.

A Mass to begin “the canonical investigation of the cause for the canonisation of Bernard Quinn” was celebrated January 13 at St Peter Claver church. Among the congregation were a number of Guyanese Catholics in New York, including Sr Francine Pestano.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn officially approved the effort that day. Celebrating the Mass were chief celebrant Auxiliary Bishop Guy A Sansaricq, retired Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Joseph M Sullivan and 19 other priests.

Another concelebrant was Msgr William Rodgers, 85, a member of St Peter Claver parish who became the first black accepted into Brooklyn's diocesan seminary and the first to be ordained for the Brooklyn Diocese. Deacon Joseph Dass, also Guyanese born, was also present.

In the front row were members of Msgr Quinn's family, including his grandniece, Katherine, and her family, who flew in from St Louis. Her grandfather, Charles Quinn, was Msgr Quinn's brother.

"It is time to begin the final review. He is in a class all by himself. Join me in promoting his cause with interest and zeal. Today's Mass is a powerful springboard to launch the cause."

Fr Jervis explained that the request for sainthood along with the details of Msgr Quinn's life will be sent to the Vatican's Congregation for Saints' Causes, which will study the merits of the case.

Msgr Bernard J Quinn

Fr Paul Jervis

But, Fr Jervis warned, there has to be an enduring interest. "Rome wants to see that you are interested," he said as he urged people to participate in promoting the good works of Msgr Quinn with prayer and participation.

On display in the church were items that belonged to Msgr Quinn and have been preserved by members of the family, as well as newspaper articles about his life.

A clipping from The New York Times described the scene of the funeral held at St Peter for Msgr. Quinn in 1940 -- 8,000 people lined the streets around the church.

Also shown were stoles the priest had used as a chaplain in Europe during World War I, as well as his surplice from the 1920s, and a leather paten, or holder, used during his military service.

As a young priest, Fr Quinn was drawn to serve black Catholics. When he approached Bishop Charles McDonnell about starting a parish for blacks in Bedford-Stuyvesant, he was told that recruiting chaplains to serve US soldiers in World War I was a priority for the diocese.

He volunteered and served in France, where he nurtured a devotion to St Thérèse of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower of Jesus. He visited the house where she was raised and became the first priest to celebrate Mass there at a time when it was a little-known shrine.

He later began a novena in honor of the Little Flower at St Peter Claver. It brought together hundreds of white and black Catholics, in what

Father Jervis called "the only place in the United States where whites joined their black brethren week after week in prayer, even though it was a time when blacks and whites were separate."

Fr Quinn returned from the war in ill health after being gassed with poison. He suffered poor health for the rest of his life.

Upon his arrival back in the diocese, he received permission from Bishop McDonnell to start a new parish for black people in Brooklyn. He worked with the Coloured Catholic Club and established the parish of St. Peter Claver in what had been a Protestant church that later was turned into a warehouse depot.

In his homily, Fr Jervis referred to a pastoral letter written by Msgr Quinn to the people of St Peter Claver. In it, he said, "I love you, I am proud of every one of you, and I would willingly shed to the last drop my life's blood for the least among you."

In later years, Msgr Quinn referred to himself as "an adopted son of the Negro race."

"In his quest to be an adopted son of the Negro race, he did not forsake his own Irish background," Fr Jervis said. "But he was able to get under the skin of the black race.

He could feel the pain of injustice and indignity that was systemic in society. Bernard Quinn identified his life with blacks without being the skin colour of black."

Msgr Quinn established in the diocese a second parish for blacks, St Benedict the Moor in Jamaica.

Fr Jervis asked those devoted to Msgr Quinn's cause to support it, both spiritually and financially. He requested that a prayer he has composed for the process be recited daily.

"Most of all, I ask you to live out the spirit of Fr Quinn's love and to wipe out every trace of racism in your heart," said Fr Jervis. "Always be willing to open your hearts to the people of the world."
(edited from Catholic Standard and CNS)