Moved to Serve
I have been touched by people telling me how they enjoy and are informed by my NC Catholics articles. I do enjoy writing them and am pleased they are well received.
This month I write about a young man whose story will fill you with joy. When I was Pastor of St. Mary in Wilmington, a couple in the parish, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Wiggins, introduced me to twins, a boy and a girl. Their father, Mrs. Wiggins' brother, had died, and their mother was having trouble raising four children. So Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins had gone to Baltimore and brought Leontyne and Leon Bell to Wilmington, and eventually adopted them.
Leontyne and Leon were instructed in the Catholic faith and baptized. They became both altar servers and lectors. When they graduated from high school, the two enrolled at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University in Greensboro, one of the historical Black universities in the state. They are still students there.
They have blossomed and grown. One of the great influences in their lives in Greensboro is Thea House, the Catholic Student Center for the university. This is the only Catholic Student Center at a Black university in the state. Leon and I speak together frequently by phone and he comes to visit me.
Leon made Communications his major. He is a gifted writer. One play he wrote so impressed his professor that the professor sent it to other state universities and had it copyrighted. But soon after arriving in Greensboro, Leon volunteered to work with high schools students at the YMCA on the campus. Then he was asked to help in mentoring a young man, and eventually became active in Big Brothers.
These experiences with youth at risk led him to a career change. He went to his
Communications professor and told him he was contemplating changing his major.
He had decided that he would become a social worker. His professor said he hated to lose such a talented student, but if there is one thing that is needed, it is more Black men as social workers.
Leon's change of major added an extra year to his college career. He did not mind it. He is still active in mentoring and helping youth at risk. His example needs to be emulated.
- Msgr. Thomas P. Hadden