A Role Model

Embracing her Catholic heritage has always come naturally for Baton Rouge native Monique Scott-Spaulding.

Raised by three strong Catholic women – her mother, grandmother and aunt – Scott-Spaulding began volunteering in the church “as early as I could.”

She was an altar server at St. Paul Church in Baton Rouge and later joined the youth group. She has previously served as youth director at St. Paul and on parish council and building committee, following in the tradition of her mother, who also served as youth director and founded the choir that sings at the 7:30 a.m. Mass.

“I think I have lived my Catholic faith by the examples that were models for me,” said Scott-Spauling, a successful businesswoman who also serves on several Catholic and civil boards and is active in the Knights of Peter Claver.

Scott-Spaulding, who attended St. Anthony School and Redemptorist High School, both in Baton Rouge and both closed, has become a role model in the African American community, tirelessly advocating for young people and striving to have the Black voice heard in the local church.

Scott-Spaulding, a widow with 12 godchildren whom she calls her “babies,” is emphatic about involving young people in the church.  She recalled the days when the diocese had a youth board consisting of representatives from each church-parish and the impact on the lives of future priests Father Joshua Johnson, Father Michael Alello and Father Chris Decker.

With a chuckle she recalled how Father Decker, a talented artist, would be “sitting in a corner drawing different characters.”

“Out of the mouths of children we can see the world the way Jesus wants us to see the world,” she said. “Having a childlike innocence and desire to explore and learn. If adults were that way it would be more beneficial in our community.”

Scott-Spaulding is equally as passionate about the role of African Americans in the church. She is a member of the diocese’s Racial Harmony Commission, which “she wishes would meet more regularly and become more engaged.” She served in the Office of Black Catholics for many years, has been a member of the National Black Catholic Congress and served with New Roads native Bishop Shelton J. Fabre when he was in the Diocese of Baton Rouge and who is now bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

“I tend to donate time to the mission of ensuring Black Catholics have a voice and that the Black Catholic Church understands the need for them to be involved,” she said. “We need their voices, we need to know what will keep them engaged.”

But she admits African Americans do not always feel as if they are invited, saying they “are not involved in the conversation.” 

She recalled when “Open Wide Your Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, a Pastoral Letter Against Racism,” which was co-authored by Bishop Fabre, was approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Black Catholics were not aware of its development.

“They felt like they had never heard it, they felt like no one came to our community to ask questions about it,” she said. 

An emotional listening session sponsored by the diocese and led by Bishop Fabre in June 2019 was welcomed and as Scott-Spaulding explained, “It was the first time people had asked us about our experiences. There has been nothing tangible since then, so I don’t think people feel their voices are being heard.”

The solution, however, can be as simple as offering opportunities to have honest dialogues with the Black community, allowing diocesan leaders of all races to come together and learn of each other’s lived experiences. 

Scott-Spaulding also praised Office of Black Catholics director Deacon Alfred Adams for developing his “powerful” racial sobriety program and is in fact a certified presenter. She said those sessions allow people to go deeper and also provides the opportunity for historical lessons, which is important. 

Being a role model in the African American community is not something Scott-Spaulding takes lightly, as she understands the impact she can have on young people and adults. Her path tracks through the Knights of Peter Claver, the largest and oldest Black Catholic lay-led organization still in existence, through which she has come to understand social justice initiatives. 

She says part of the reason she is viewed as a role model is her dedication to the organization, including the Junior Daughters and Ladies Auxiliary and her active participation on the district and national levels. 

She is also part of the Knights’ recruitment efforts statewide and nationally and continues to identify donors and supporters. 

Transcending race, however, is the role of every Catholic being called to evangelize at “every moment of every day,” beginning in the home.

“As a parent you are responsible for being the first educator to your children,” she said. “Religious education classes are more important than just the sacraments but building that Catholic formation with understanding of the Bible and what that calls us to do in everyday activities.”

Through the example of her own life, Scott-Spaulding has inspired countless Black Catholics to be proud of not only their own heritage but their faith as well. It’s a tradition that began with three strong women in her young life.