Native son, Rev. Father James E. Goode, Roanoke’s first Black Catholic priest, OFM, Ph.D. died in his sleep on March 4, 2022, in Manhattan, NY. He was 81, born November 18, 1940, in Roanoke, t
he was the adopted son of Robert D. and Lula B. Young.
Fr. Goode, aka Fr. Jim, was an African American member of the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception. He held a B.A. degree in Philosophy from the University of New York Immaculate Conception Seminary, an M.A. in Divinity, an M.A. in Theology from the University of New York St. Anthony Theological Seminary,
an M.A. degree in Psychology from the College of St. Rose, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Union Graduate School. When ordained in May 1972 at the Shrine Church of St. Anthony in New York City, he became the first Black Catholic priest from the City of Roanoke.
Family and friends in celebrating his first Mass at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke later joined him. The church was filled to capacity as worshippers remembered Fr. Goode living and playing on Harrison Avenue as a child and in later years walking up the hill every day to attend Roanoke Catholic High School. Over the years, God has used Franciscan Fr. Goode in numerous ways to inspire and improve the lives of thousands of individuals. One of the ways included acknowledging the importance of and strengthening the role of Black priests and Black Catholics as President of the National Black Clergy Caucus. He later answered a call to spread God’s word by becoming the leading Black Catholic Evangelizer in the United States. He was referred to as the
“Dean of Black Catholic Preachers” having preached the first Black Catholic Revival in the United States in 1974 and preached over 300 Black Catholic Revivals in the United States.
Fr. Goode’s evangelistic style became so regarded that he was featured in an episode of 60 Minutes. In 1989, he founded the National Day of Prayer for the African American Family, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of Black History Month. He was also the Pastoral Leader of Solid Ground Ministry, a Franciscan Ministry among African American families in New York City. In this role, he assisted homeless individuals and those in need in securing food, clothing, and shelter; helped the sick and those living with HIV/AIDS get the care needed; and restored hope to victims of violence, neglect, and abuse through counseling. Father Goode would have celebrated his 50- year anniversary as a Black Catholic priest on May 13, 2022.
Father Goode is survived by Dr. Curtis C. Reeves, Jr. (Penny); Mrs. Virginia R. Schexnider (Dr. Alvin); Reginald (Janet) Elliott; great-nieces and nephews, Elena Schexnider; Alvin (Misuzu) Schexnider; Dawn (Malik) Thomas; Cortez Pierson; Reginald Elliott; Darryl Elliott; and Michelle Elliott. A special thank you extended to friends who supported him throughout his priesthood including Fr. Rey Culaba, Br. Harold Williams, Br. Jim Newsom, Br. Tyrone Davis, Br. Randall Wiggins, Friar Carmela Rodriguez, and Florence Binns. A very special thank you is extended to Provincial Fr. Robert Campagna, OFM of the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception, and Br. Vincent Ciaravino, OFM for all of their support.
His funeral Mass will take place at the Shrine Church of St. Anthony in New York at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 12. A viewing will occur between 10:00 am and 11:00 am. A private interment will occur at a later date at Williams Memorial Park in Roanoke. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any contributions be made to Hearts of Gold, an organization that works in partnership with homeless mothers and their children to help them create positive, sustainable change in their lives. To find out more, please view the website: heartsofgold.org.
