Poems and Short Stories

"Ray Guidry had the soul of a poet and the heart of a missionary" according to Rev. James Pawlicki SVD, provincial superior of the Society of the Divine Word U.S. Southern Province. During his career of over sixty years in religious vows and fifty-five years as a priest, Father Raymond Guidry filled many roles including missionary to Ghana, military chaplain in Germany and Vietnam, parish priest in Texas and Louisiana, and prolific poet and author of short stories. Fr. Guidry was one of a group of African-American men who joined the Society of the Divine Word in the 1940s. His experience as a Black Catholic priest gave him a unique perspective on life and ministry, subjects which lie at the heart of many of his writings. He frequently contributed to Negro Digest, a popular African-American magazine founded by publishing legend John H. Johnson, who later developed Jet, Ebony, and Essence. Many of Fr. Guidry’s writings have now been compiled to serve as a lasting tribute to his life and legacy.