Just Don't Ignore Me: My Life as a Black Priest in the Catholic Church

Father George Clements penned this no-holds-barred account of his life as a Black priest within the Catholic Church, with instructions that the book was to be published after his death. Father Clements died on November 25, 2019, and his four adopted sons, Joey, Friday, Stewart and St. Anthony saw to it that his wishes were carried out.

Father Clements began his life in the priesthood early, entering Quigley Seminary at the age of 13. The racism he encountered both inside and outside of the church, motivated him to become an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement, where he developed intimate friendships with Civil Rights icons, such as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, and comedian and Civil Rights activist, Dick Gregory. He defied the racism within the church, just as he defied the criminal elements within his own community, teaming up with fighters like Father Michael Pfleger to face down those who advertised liquor and sold drug paraphernalia to Black youth and stand up to the gang bangers and other criminal elements of the community. Father Clements was a fighter who would not be ignored, who broke barriers becoming the first Catholic priest to adopt four young boys and raise them as his sons.

Once you read "Just Don't Ignore Me," you will no longer have to wonder what really goes on inside the Catholic Church, behind closed doors especially for a Black priest. In this riveting narrative, Father Clements tells it all.