An interview with Joseph Carroll, Jr. & The Reverend Judith Alexis by Canon Sarah Louise Woodford
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of Zooming with Joseph Carroll, Jr., of St. Luke’s (New Haven) and the Reverend Judith Alexis, co-chairs of the upcoming Celebration of the Life and Ministry of The Right Reverend James T. Holly, First Black Bishop of the Episcopal Church, which will be held at St. Luke’s (New Haven) on March 16 at 4 PM. Below is an excerpt from our time together.
Cn. Sarah Woodford: “Can you tell me about Bishop Holly and his legacy?”
Joseph Carroll: “I think it’s so critical that the masses learn who Bishop Holly was because he was really instrumental in the formation of this church. My ancestors that came over and worship here, and the ancestors of the Reverend Judith, and so many others, are sitting on the shoulders of Bishop Holly. He left the Roman Catholic Church because of racism. They wouldn’t recognize or ordain black folks. He came to us, and as you know, the Episcopal Church welcomes everyone. And it’s important that the generation now, and even the generations to come, know who he was. We need to pass our history on to those who came after him. And I think this service is a great starting point.”
The Rev. Judith Alexis: “The wonderful thing about the Reverend Theodore Holly, that it is not well known, is that he was very ecumenical in his ministry. He was sent. Well, nobody sent him. He went. I remember reading somewhere that he went to Liberia first. I cannot find the backup to that. But I remember clearly reading that he went to Liberia first and then came back to the Caribbean Basin. So, there is a level of dedication, a very clear: ‘this is what I am called to do whatever obstacle the world puts in front of me; this is what I’m called to do, and I will seek every, every path to achieve that.’ When I think of Bishop Holly, the first song that comes to mind is ‘From the Rivers of Babylon’—’How do I sing this song in a strange land?’ His entire life, he sung the Lord’s song in a strange land: outside of the Roman Catholic Church, into the Episcopal Church, outside of the Episcopal Church of the US in Haiti.”
JC: ‘He was also a very active founding member of the precursor to the UBE (Union of Black Episcopalians). He’s also a contemporary of Marcus Garvey, so the economic independence of the black person [is central to his thinking]. The first book he wrote was about how black people should be financially independent. So at that time, Haiti was the first perfect place for him—a black independent country in the Americas.”
SW: “Joseph, along with his work as Bishop of Haiti, he also has a Connecticut connection…”
JC: “Bishop Holly was ordained a deacon in 1855 at St. Matthew’s in Detroit. January of 1856 is when he came to Connecticut, and he was at St. Luke’s [New Haven]. He was at St. Luke’s from 1856 until 1861, which at that point that he left to go down to Haiti. He was ordained a priest while at St Luke’s and had a strong connection with the parishioners, many of whom went with him when he went to Haiti.”
SW: “The Rev. Judith, you speak about the importance of oral histories, what is their connection to Bishop Holly?”
JA: “[A lot about Bishop Holly] is not written in the books. I had the pleasure of speaking to Anglican elders in Haiti, because I was not an Anglican in Haiti. I became an Episcopalian here. So, when I joined Episcopal Church, I went back, and I come from that wonderful oral history that everybody has a story to tell you—especially when they hear that you are you going to be a priest. So, one of the things about the Episcopal Church in Haiti, that started with Reverend Holly, was they never deny the local religion. They were never in conflict with the local African religion.”
SW: “Could you tell me more about March 16, what are you all planning?”
JC: “To my knowledge, we’ve never had a service like this before, and we’re actually billing it as the first annual, so we hope to do this same time next year.”
JA: “[The service will be] very intergenerational, with different backgrounds, with different cultures. One of the things that we’re asking, which is really, really traditional, but it used to be present at every diocesan event, is that churches bring their banners. I don’t think we’re going to process with the banners, but our intention is to display them. Because the Episcopal Church is old and new.”
JC: “And we’d love everyone in the diocese to come.”
Transcript has been edited.