Priests, deacons and religious who were honored Nov. 17 for their service to the African American Catholic community shared poignant memories of learning that "grace is in the struggle," and the deeper meaning of the cross as experienced among Black Catholics.

The second annual Bishop Carl Anthony Fisher 2007 Awards celebrated the dedicated leadership and distinguished service of Deacon Emile Adams, Jr., Father Charles Andrus, Sister Karen Collier, Father Edwin Duyshart, Father Edwin B. Johnson (deceased), Father Perry Leiker, Brother Hilarion O'Connor, Carmelite Father Tracy O'Sullivan and Msgr. John Rawden.

The dinner gala --- held to promote and support vocations in the Black community --- took place at the Proud Bird Restaurant in Los Angeles. More than 350 people attended the evening held during Black Catholic History Month. The nine awards given bear names honoring prominent deceased Black clergy and religious.

Father O'Sullivan, pastor of St. Raphael Church in Los Angeles, received the Bishop Joseph A. Francis Award. Recognized for his homilies on economic justice, he previously served as chair of the archdiocesan Justice and Peace Commission. He has assisted the African American community on issues dealing with civil rights, gang violence, police brutality, and poverty and slum landlords and authored "A Call to Involvement: The Justice Perspective."

"Everything about myself as a priest has been defined and molded and formed by my experience in the Black community," said Father O'Sullivan in accepting the award. He recounted his experiences as a young Irish American priest serving in the south side of Chicago in the 1960s and '70s during times of hostile segregation. Father O'Sullivan was part of the public effort to organize Black police officers.

"Anybody that knows the Black Catholic experience knows that the grace is in the struggle," said Father O'Sullivan. "You gotta keep in the struggle and move on from there."

He urged African American Catholics to continue working on Black vocations as a way of developing Black leadership and engaging young people.

Father Perry Leiker, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Hawthorne, was honored with the Reverend Paul Gopaul Award. He was recognized for developing effective bilingual and cultural liturgies and ensuring that every ethnic group has a representative on the parish pastoral council. As the previous pastor of Mother of Sorrows Church in Los Angeles, Father Leiker brought African Americans and Hispanics together.

The priest highlighted his "joy" in preaching to the Black community which he called a "two-way street."

"When you preach to the black community, you get right back what they feel. It's in the looks. It's in the words. It's in the Hmm Hmms," he said. "And it was as invigorating for me as I hope I tried to make it for them, and so they fed me very much."

He also acknowledged Black Catholics for their wisdom and insight about bearing the cross ---- the cross of racism and poverty and injustice.

"I know I've preached the cross many times, and on all kinds of levels we've all experienced it. But as a people I know you've experienced it in a way that I can say my people haven't. And you've done it with class. You've done it with love. And you've done it with forgiveness. And that's extraordinary," said Father Leiker. "So I thank you for preaching to me about the cross. It's made a big difference in my spirituality and in my life."

Father Charles Andrus, former pastor of St. Brigid Church in Los Angeles and former director of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization, received the Reverend Fisher J. Robinson Award. He was honored for his emphasis on evangelization and for producing numerous festivals and revivals for the Black community. Father Andrus established the Voices of Care Gospel Choir as well as the annual Black History Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

The priest, who has been reassigned to New Orleans, said he was honored to receive the award named after Father Fisher Robinson who died in October.

"He was a man of courage. He was a man who put his hand to the plow and never let go," said Father Andrus, his voice breaking with emotion. The priest expressed his appreciation for being able to stand on Father Robinson's shoulders, a man whom he called "my rock."

"It is a task that God calls us all to be first and foremost holy, and secondly, to spread that good news that he is God. And that's what we're about as the people of God," continued Father Andrus. "I love the Lord and his word, and I will spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to spread that good news."

Father Edwin Duyshart, pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Altadena, received the Reverend Charles Logan Award. He was honored, in part, for his support of the Black Catholic Association to develop programs in Black culture and history. The priest also hosted a seminarian from Uganda and then later traveled to the country.

"For me to go to Uganda last summer was a most incredible blessing," said the priest. "To see all the stories of faith and joy that they shared with me. To see everyone so alive, and active and beautiful."

Deacon Emile Adams, Jr. has served at St. Bernadette Church in Los Angeles since 1979 and was honored with the Deacon John Gaudin Award. He was recognized for organizing and providing clothing, food and services to needy families as well as working with parishioners in bereavement. The deacon is also involved with the Knights of Columbus and serves as a 4th degree Knight of Peter Claver among other activities.

Deacon Adams thanked his wife, family, deacons, the Sisters of Providence and the Knights of Peter Claver and others for all their support during the past three decades of his service as a deacon.

"Parishioners have been very supportive of me. I want to thank them for their love and their support. I thank pastor [Father] Allan Roberts for his wonderful support," said Deacon Adams. "I accept this on behalf of all the deacons."

Sister of St. Louis Karen Collier, parish life director of St. Agatha Church in Los Angeles, received the Sister Francis Paula Guillory Award. She was recognized for serving as the liturgical and spiritual leader of the parish and for serving on the board of LA Voice, a community organizing group. She's also heading up the Los Angeles effort to bring youth to World Youth Day in Australia next year.

Sister Collier described that the first time she attended Mass at St. Agatha, "I was just knocked off out of my shoes [by] the welcome and the love." She also accepted her award on behalf of the legacy of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters who served the school for many years.

"So this is not just for me, but for all the women religious who worked among the community," said Sister Collier.

Msgr. John Rawden received the Reverend Vance Thorne Award. Now semi-retired, Msgr. Rawden served as vicar for Black Catholics from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s and was recognized, in part, for taking the time to visit every parish where there were Black Catholics.

"I appreciate this more than I can say," Msgr. Rawden said quietly.

Franciscan Brother Hilarion O'Connor, who was unable to be present, was honored with the Brother Albert Glanton Award, and Father Edwin B. Johnson (deceased) was honored with the Reverend Peter Gabriel Foster Award.