GLASSBORO – Msgr. Leonard G. Scott admits he was too young to remember when the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross in front of his house in an attempt to intimidate his father – the only African-American doctor in Cumberland County.
“My father practiced medicine for more than 50 years in Bridgeton, arriving in 1938,” Msgr. Scott recalled. The Klan, he said, was trying to tell his father, “Get out of here. But he didn’t get out. In fact, he bought another house” – one in which the Scott family would not only live, but where Msgr. Scott’s father would run a medical office.
“Ten years later, the county decided to build a road through the area. Only two buildings were destroyed – the Black Elks and the Black doctor’s house,” he continued. “My father thought about moving out of Bridgeton, but he stayed.”
Stories such as this – and those of other African-Americans throughout the decades – “give me determination, perseverance and courage,” Msgr. Scott said during the Mass held Feb. 27 in Saint Bridget University Church in recognition of Black History Month.
The Mass, celebrated by Bishop Dennis Sullivan, was sponsored by the Black Catholic Ministry Commission and included music by the diocesan Gospel Choir and Igbo Catholic Apostolic / African Mass Choirs. Members of the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver and Knights of Saint John Color Guard filled the pews alongside parishioners and visitors from around the Diocese and Philadelphia as Gospel tunes and Nigerian lyrics rang throughout the church.
A handful of priests concelebrated, including parish pastor Father John Rossi and Father Vincent Guest, coordinator of the Black Catholic Apostolate and Racial Justice Commission. Father Guest thanked Bishop Sullivan for his longtime support of Black Catholic Ministry, both as a priest and bishop in New York, and as bishop of the Camden Diocese.
With the 2022 Black History Month theme focusing on the importance of Black Health and Wellness, Msgr. Scott – a retired priest of the Diocese and member of the Canon Law Society of America – discussed in his homily several African-American trailblazers in the field of U.S. medicine and history.
Carter Godwin Woodson, for example, was the son of former slaves who taught himself to read and write. He went on to earn a doctorate from Harvard University and created a week in February dedicated to Black history. Decades later, President Gerald Ford would officially expand that week into Black History Month.
Ngozi Ugoh, part of the Igbo Catholic Apostolic, said she found Msgr. Scott’s homily inspiring. “It reminds us of our heritage and history, and that strengthens you. The stories motivate me to work hard and be resilient. Not matter what somebody thinks about you or how they treat you, that should not weigh you down. Instead, remember the people who have done good.”
Tonya Taylor-Dorsey of Saint Martin de Porres Parish, Philadelphia, who directed the Gospel Choir for the Mass, praised Mgr. Scott’s father for paving the way for future Black doctors in Bridgeton. She said it was eye-opening to hear that “even though he was a physician, he still faced prejudice and that it didn’t matter what your status was at that time, you still had to deal with racism.”
Doug Stanford, also of Philadelphia and who assisted with the music, said he continues to gain strength from God, especially in troubled times.
“At [age] 65, it’s amazing to see all the things that have happened. The struggle continues, but we’re going to continue to trust that the Lord gives the spirit of forgiveness, and increases the spirit of love and equality for all races.”
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