House of Refuge
Photo: Ric Helmke / ehelmke@dothaneagle.com
January 27, 2007
Tom and Alma Colvin began attending St. Columba Catholic Church in 1966 in search of a house of worship which would place more of an emphasis on a relationship with God.
The year was 1966.
Turned off by the confrontational style of the pastor of the church they were attending, Tom and Alma Colvin started a search for a congregation more responsive to their needs - a house of worship which would place more of an emphasis on a relationship with God. Their search led them to one of the few predominately white churches that accepted blacks at that time, St. Columba Catholic Church.
The Colvins gave St. Columba a try on the advice of Tom’s parents, Ozark residents who attended Catholic services there.
Because of the family link, it’s not surprising the Colvins were receptive to converting to the Catholic faith, but what was remarkable about their visit was the welcome they received.
“I didn’t feel any hostility at all,” said Mrs. Colvin, a teacher in Dothan City Schools at the time.
Mr. Colvin, employed as a masonry teacher, also felt comfortable worshipping at St. Columba. The reception they received was a stark contrast to what was going on in the Deep South.
During the late 1960s, segregation was entrenched in society, Martin Luther King Jr. was leading civil rights marches and race riots were happening in other parts of the country. It was a time when many African Americans were well aware there was an invisible boundary they dare not cross.
The Catholic Church was one place in society where blacks were not marginalized and could co-exist with whites peacefully. Although the Colvins were not the first black family to integrate St. Columba - there were a handful of black families already attending - the scenario would not have occurred in most white Protestant churches.
Joining St. Columba’s congregation in 1967, the Colvins and their three children, who don’t consider themselves forerunners in fostering race relations between blacks and whites, were emboldened.
“We grew up in a segregated society, but we didn’t look down,” Mr. Colvin said. “We always looked up.”
It’s that dignity which never allowed the Colvins to feel inferior to any of St. Columba’s white members. The couple viewed themselves as equals, never fearing retaliation for asserting themselves and taking on active roles in the church.
When she became a member, Mrs. Colvin led a class similar to Sunday school for years and served as parish council secretary.
She has also been an active volunteer at Catholic Social Services for more than a decade. Mr. Colvin has served as vice president of the parish council, lector and Eucharist minister.
Four decades after joining, the Colvins remain devoted to St. Columba and are grateful for their conversion.
Although there are still only a handful of African American families attending St. Columba, the Colvins said worshipping in the overwhelmingly white congregation has never caused them to lose touch with their identity.
“You can keep your identity with any religion,” Mr. Colvin said.
“People can look at me and see I’m black,” added Mrs. Colvin.
January 27, 2007
Tom and Alma Colvin began attending St. Columba Catholic Church in 1966 in search of a house of worship which would place more of an emphasis on a relationship with God.
The year was 1966.
Turned off by the confrontational style of the pastor of the church they were attending, Tom and Alma Colvin started a search for a congregation more responsive to their needs - a house of worship which would place more of an emphasis on a relationship with God. Their search led them to one of the few predominately white churches that accepted blacks at that time, St. Columba Catholic Church.
The Colvins gave St. Columba a try on the advice of Tom’s parents, Ozark residents who attended Catholic services there.
Because of the family link, it’s not surprising the Colvins were receptive to converting to the Catholic faith, but what was remarkable about their visit was the welcome they received.
“I didn’t feel any hostility at all,” said Mrs. Colvin, a teacher in Dothan City Schools at the time.
Mr. Colvin, employed as a masonry teacher, also felt comfortable worshipping at St. Columba. The reception they received was a stark contrast to what was going on in the Deep South.
During the late 1960s, segregation was entrenched in society, Martin Luther King Jr. was leading civil rights marches and race riots were happening in other parts of the country. It was a time when many African Americans were well aware there was an invisible boundary they dare not cross.
The Catholic Church was one place in society where blacks were not marginalized and could co-exist with whites peacefully. Although the Colvins were not the first black family to integrate St. Columba - there were a handful of black families already attending - the scenario would not have occurred in most white Protestant churches.
Joining St. Columba’s congregation in 1967, the Colvins and their three children, who don’t consider themselves forerunners in fostering race relations between blacks and whites, were emboldened.
“We grew up in a segregated society, but we didn’t look down,” Mr. Colvin said. “We always looked up.”
It’s that dignity which never allowed the Colvins to feel inferior to any of St. Columba’s white members. The couple viewed themselves as equals, never fearing retaliation for asserting themselves and taking on active roles in the church.
When she became a member, Mrs. Colvin led a class similar to Sunday school for years and served as parish council secretary.
She has also been an active volunteer at Catholic Social Services for more than a decade. Mr. Colvin has served as vice president of the parish council, lector and Eucharist minister.
Four decades after joining, the Colvins remain devoted to St. Columba and are grateful for their conversion.
Although there are still only a handful of African American families attending St. Columba, the Colvins said worshipping in the overwhelmingly white congregation has never caused them to lose touch with their identity.
“You can keep your identity with any religion,” Mr. Colvin said.
“People can look at me and see I’m black,” added Mrs. Colvin.
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