Atlanta
By ANDREW NELSON, Staff Writer | Published February 11, 2024
ATLANTA—Leighton Batiste, when a student at Morehouse College, faced skepticism and disapproval from classmates when he mentioned he was Catholic. Being Black and Catholic was considered suspect by his classmates.
Undeterred, Batiste is exploring his religious heritage as a leader with the Knights of St. Peter Claver, an African American fraternal organization that has been around for more than a century. His newfound knowledge that his grandfather was a knight in Louisiana increased its appeal.
“So, what drew me was that I always wanted to figure out, where do we fit in this universal church?” asked Batiste, sipping a cup of espresso at a West End coffee shop.
Instead of giving in to the prejudice faced in the classroom, Batiste leads the effort so others can see their place in it.
“When I heard of the Knights, it kind of created an extra layer of commitment to the church and to my faith,” he said.
The Lyke House is home to a new Knights of St. Peter Claver council. In the fall, it inaugurated its leaders from men and women attending the four historically Black colleges and universities in the Atlanta University Center, as well as Georgia State University.
Some 70 miles away, at the University of Georgia Catholic Center in Athens, another young council entered its second year. Its members belong to the Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world, with 1.7 million members.
Kyle Hamm leads the council. The 20-year-old business major from Cumming is the second Grand Knight of the…
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