What Catholic women want to know: Interview with Fr Maurice White

Fresh off the press!!! Everybody wants to know what’s the deal with the newly ordained priest Father Maurice White. So here are the deets!

1. Name: Maurice White

2. How old are you?
I turned 40 in January.

3. Do you have any siblings?
One brother who is two years younger and I am.

4. What is your birth parish?
Malabar/Santa Rosa and I am very active in both.

5. Are you a momma’s boy? 
(Buss out laughing) Yes!!!!!! My mother is very influential in my life.

6. Do you play any musical instruments?
My father is a classically trained pianist, and I was trained by him, so I am also a classically trained pianist?

7. What’s your favorite Trini dish?
(Buss out laughing again) I real love to eat, eh! But if I had to choose just one, it would be curry shrimp.

8. What is your favorite bible verse?
1 Peter 1:8-9: Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

9. Who is your favorite woman in the Bible?
Definitely, it is the Virgin Mary, but during the Lenten period and as we draw closer to Holy Week, I focus on the Mary who wiped the feet of Jesus. I am attentive to her because she was so very attentive to Jesus. I use her during this time to reflect upon because during this time of the year we see people who are antagonistic to Jesus, but this woman she is attentive to His needs. Your feet are the lowest part of your body, so to me, her action shows love for the whole person. I admire that.

10. Favorite thing to do on your day off?
Go to the beach or just spend time with nature. It rejuvenates me

11. What is the message of your priesthood?
I believe that I am called to preach to the youth and to the poor. The world is searching for more; they are not finding what they are looking for in the world because it is really only Jesus that can satisfy them. I also believe that the message the world gives is inadequate and in many cases untrue, so I feel called to let them see a new image of God’s love through my priesthood. Young people are rarely still enough to see the glory of God, so I hope the message of my priesthood will renew their perspective on God and themselves. I hope that I can speak new life into their lives and point them to see God. I am also seeing a call to be more present to the poor. A person can be poor in many ways.

12. Why did you use your ordination to encourage persons to go to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament? Because that saved my life! I believe that this is our faith and we should be proud to profess it. Jesus is really really there in the Blessed Sacrament. He is living and breathing in the Eucharist. Sitting there, you will receive the divine mercy from His heart into yours. I believe that it will heal you, heal families, heal minds, and souls and heal our nation.