Last week, Lorenzo Herman, 39, was chosen as the new president of the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association.
Herman, who is presently studying to become a Jesuit priest, is also a former Air Force in-flight refueling specialist, community activist and actor. Though he was raised Baptist, Herman attended St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, where he is from. It was there he first encountered the Society of Jesus. He eventually converted to Catholicism, joining the Society of Jesus in 2007.
Former president the Rev. Dwayne Davis, whom Herman will be succeeding, praised the choice. “It’s no surprise to me that Lorenzo Herman was chosen as our new president. I believe that Lorenzo is the next stepping stone to make our group a success,” Davis said.
Herman became very active in nonprofit work after serving in the military and spent many years aiding Black and Latino HIV and AIDS patients. He also worked with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to get HIV/AIDS legislation passed through the California state Legislature. Herman plans to continue his work in his new role.
“As a Jesuit, I’ve been able to revisit all the things that I’ve done. I continue to do the HIV/AIDS work; I continue to do theater. The thing that makes it different for me is now God is working through me in all these things.”
The National Black Catholic Seminarians Association, founded in 1968, is dedicated to building fraternal and spiritual bonds between Black Catholic seminarians nationwide. Davis said of the organization, “To be able to be a part of an organization where you know that you have brothers all over the country, and to be able to know that they’re praying for you on a daily basis–that is a miracle within itself. What a great gift and grace to know that your brothers are there to support you and are there for you.”
