Lawrence E. Lucas

Father Lawrence E. Lucas (1933 – 18 April 2020) was a Catholic priest in the Roman Catholic Church in America, a human rights and civil rights activist, social justice activist, organizer, educator, and an author. He was the author of Black Priest White Church: Catholics and Racism. He was a priest at the Our Lady of Lourdes Church (Manhattan). In the 1970s he became the first African-American pastor of Chapel of the Resurrection Roman Catholic Church located at 276 W. 151st Street in Harlem (New York City). Father Lucas was a co-founding member of the December 12th Movement (D12) along with Viola Plummer, Elombe Brath, Abubadika Sonny Carson, and Coltrane Chimurenga. DC12 is a United States of America and international human rights group for African people.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Father Lucas was a Black liberation theologian who practiced Black theology, and was chaplain on Rikers Island in New York. Father Lucas was an advocate for prison reform and justice for Black and Hispanic incarceration along with the December 12th Movement. The DC 12 started out as the December 12 Coalition.[9]

Lawrence E. Lucas
Born1933 (1933)
Harlem New York City, New York
Died18 April 2020(2020-04-18) (aged 86–87)
NationalityUnited States America
OccupationRoman Catholic Priest, human rights and civil rights activist

Early life

Father Lucas was bornat Harlem Hospital in 1933 and raised in Harlem . His early education was in Harlem at P.S. 39, All Saints School at All Saints Church (Manhattan), and St. Marks. He is quoted as saying that his activism comes from his mother. His mother fought against greedy landlords in their Harlem tenement.

Career

Father Lucas studied priesthood at Saint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) in Croton Falls, New York. He studied at the University of Indianapolis from 1966 to 1968 in post graduate studies before studying for priesthood at St. Joseph's Seminary. Father Lucas was ordained in 1959 by Cardinal Spellman at St. Peter's Church in New York City. He was the pastor at Resurrection Roman Catholic Church in Harlem for over 24 years, and co-founded the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. Father Lucas was active in the Black Catholic Rights Movement that started in the late 1960s. He advocated for Black priests to have decision making within the dioceses and in the Black community.[10][11] In 2010 Father Lucas retired as senior priest from Our Lady of Lourdes in New York City. He had been a senior priest from 2009 to 2010. He was a chaplain at New York City Department of Corrections from 2008–2009. He was a chaplain at Rikers Island prison in New York from 1994 to 2008. He served as chaplain at North General Hospital in New York City from 1992 to 1994. He was the pastor for Resurrection parish in Manhattan (NYC) from 1969 to 1992. At Resurrection parish he also served as parochial vicar from 1961 to 1964. From 1964 to 1966 he was parochial vicar at St. Charles Borremeo in Harlem (New York City). He was a communications consultant for the archdiocese of New York from 1968 to 1969.

In 1983, Father Lucas participated in Police Misconduct: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives in Washington D.C.

In 1987 Father Lucas along with Viola Plummer, Elombe Brath, Coltrane Chimurenga founded the December 12th Movement which was the outgrowth of the December 12 Coalition responding to violent attacks and murder of Black people in New York state.[12] Father Lucas was a character witness for Yusef Salaam during the Central Park trial in New York City.[13]

Father Lucas has served on WBAI's Local Station Board.

As a community activist Father Lucas was one of the community organizers for the 1990 Church Avenue boycott in Brooklyn. Lucas was for many years a host on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network television show Community Cop in New York City. Father Lucas was President of Community Board 10 in Harlem for fifteen years, and was the first vice president of Community School Board No. 5 in New York City.[14]

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See also

References
  1. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/lawrence-lucas/black-priest-white-church/
  2. http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/nycdoc/fr-repole/fond-farewell-to-fr-charlie.html
  3. http://cny.org/stories/four-priests-receive-new-parish-assignments,10974
  4. https://www.blackstarnews.com/ny-watch/ny-watch/%E2%80%8Bcemotap’s-july-forum-speakers-father-lucas-and-bob-law.html
  5. http://www.justiceandunity.org/candidates/lucas.html
  6. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-rev-lawrence-lucas-a-clergyman-at-rikers-island-prison-news-photo/97291461
  7. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-06-20-9206200882-story.html
  8. http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2015/dec/17/december-12th-movement-celebrates-28th-anniversary/
  9. http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2020/apr/23/father-lawrence-e-lucas-catholic-priest-joins-ance/
  10. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1177&context=gs_rp
  11. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41289660#?seq=1
  12. https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-341129419/malcolm-x-s-legacy-lives-forty-eight-years-after
  13. http://interactive.nydailynews.com/project/central-park-five/original-investigation-and-prosecution/s.o.r.a-documents/NYCLD_005969_Transcript%20Re%20Testimony%20of%20Father%20Lawrence%20Lucas%20from%20the%20Sex%20Offender%20Registration%20Act%20Hearing%20of%20Yusef%20Salaam%20(8-13-1997).PDF
  14. http://www.justiceandunity.org/candidates/lucas.html
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