What identifies a steward? Simply, being a Christian steward means receiving God’s gifts gratefully, cultivating them responsibly, sharing them lovingly in justice with others, and returning them with increase to the Lord. As a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to be disciples. We recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance as Christian stewards.

People who want to live as Christian disciples and Christian stewards face serious obstacles. In the United States and other nations, dominant culture often contradicts religious convictions about the meaning of life. This culture frequently encourages us to focus on ourselves and our pleasures. At times, we can find it easy to ignore spiritual realities and to deny religion a role in shaping human and social values. As Catholics who have entered the mainstream of American society and experienced its advantages, many of us have been adversely influenced by the secular culture. We know it is a struggle against selfishness and greed. We realize it is hard for many to accept the challenge of being a Christian steward. Therefore, it is essential that we make a special effort to understand the true meaning of stewardship and live accordingly.

On Jan. 8, 2011, the Office of Black Catholic Ministry established the Sister Rita Washington Stewardship Award in honor of its first director, Sister Rita Washington, SFCC. Sister Rita served in the Diocese of Birmingham at St. Martin de Porres Church and School in Gadsden for three years and in Birmingham as the founder and Diocesan Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry for eight years. Sister Rita died Aug. 13, 2018.

Recipients of the Sister Rita Washington Stewardship Award are chosen based on their commitment and service to the diocese, the Office of Black Catholic Ministry, their church, and their community.

There are people in the diocese who choose to be good stewards of the gifts they possess. They freely give their time, talent, and treasurer, and as such they have been recognized with the Sister Rita Washington Stewardship Award. Past recipients include: Sister Rita Washington SFCC, Rose T. Sturdivant, Jane Sweeney, Reba Watts, Father Vernon F. Huguley, John and Lenora Bolling, Richard Harris, Horace Garland Jackson, Deacon Walter Henderson, Thomessia Moore-Lawson, Olivia Hill, Oather Jones, Diane Greene, Bruce and Helen Taylor, Cleophos Vann, Al Sims, and Trudi Stinson. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 award was postponed. This year, the Office of Black Catholic Ministry announced the 2021 award would be given to Deacon Douglass Moorer. This year’s recipient of the award was Angela Rembert.

Deacon Douglass Moorer

Deacon Douglass Moorer or Deacon Doug as he is called by the members at Our Lady of Fatima is the son of Charles and Lou Ethel Moorer. Following some years in the public school system, Deacon Moorer was enrolled in Catholic schools through high school, becoming a member of only the third class at John Carroll Catholic High School to graduate an integrated class.

Deacon Moorer is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a Red Cross volunteer instructor, and a member of numerous community and social organizations. He has ministered on Cursillos, for Kairos, to incarcerated youth and adults, as well as to men on Death Row. During his 30 years of teaching at all levels, Deacon Moorer has coached sports, both youth and college level.

In 2005, Deacon Moorer was ordained by the late Bishop David E. Foley.

Angela Rembert

Angela Rembert has been a devout Christian her entire life. At the age of 5, she was baptized in the Catholic Church and has been an active member in the various churches she has once called home. In 1989, she moved to Birmingham with her husband George and daughter Kimberly. In 1994, after the birth of her second child, Kelsey, she sought to fill a spiritual void and stumbled across Our Lady, Queen of the Universe Catholic Church. The church was small, which fondly reminded her of the small church she attended as a child in Washington County, AL. Through a dynamic homily given by Father Hugley, she felt like Our Lady, Queen of the Universe was the perfect fit for her and her family. Twenty-five years later, Rembert has been deeply involved with Catholic youth throughout the city of Birmingham. She currently serves as the youth director at the parish, where she teaches children of all ages to have a relationship with Christ. “I try to find ways to get the kids excited about God. Seeing them matriculate in their walk with God gives me a sense of spiritual accomplishment and joy.”