On July 6, 1937, while the U.S. was still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, two priests from the Society of St. Edmund answered Pope Pius XI’s call to minister to the African Americans of the Deep South. Could they have known how this act of faithfulness would impact the region for years to come?

When Father Francis Casey, S.S.E., and Father Barney Paro, S.S.E., arrived in Selma, Alabama, they were overwhelmed by the reality of how many people were living in shocking conditions, not unlike those expected in developing countries. Stunned at the level of poverty, the young priests jumped into action, serving sandwiches out of the back door of their house to those who were hungry. Thus, the Edmundite Missions was born.