Maurice J. Nutt

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Reverend Dr. Maurice J. Nutt, C.Ss.R. has been a Roman Catholic priest in the Redemptorist Congregation for 34 years. He earned a doctorate in preaching from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis; a Master of Theology Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, Louisiana; a Master of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and Communication from Holy Redeemer College in Waterford, Wisconsin. In June 2001, he completed a Leadership Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. In October 2022, he was inducted into the prestigious Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.

Additionally, Father Nutt served as Pastor of St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Church (1993-2002) in St. Louis and Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Church (2005-2011) in Memphis, Tennessee. From 2011-2014 he was a full-time preaching evangelist as a member of the Redemptorist Mission Preaching Team based in Chicago, IL. He was appointed Director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies and the endowed Drexel Society Professor of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans where he also taught theology and preaching courses from 2014-2017. He is a former Convener (President) of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium, an interdisciplinary association of Black Catholic scholars from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean. Currently, Father Nutt is preaching missions, revivals and retreats as a Redemptorist missionary.

Father Nutt is a member of the Redemptorist Provincial Council (Denver Province). He has written six books: Thea Bowman: In My Own Words, Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Alphonsus Liguori, and Lent and Easter Wisdom from St. Alphonsus Liguori (Liguori Publications), Thea Bowman: Faithful and Free (Liturgical Press, 2019), Down Deep in My Soul: An African American Catholic Theology of Preaching (Orbis Books, 2022), and he co-edited Preaching Racial Justice (Orbis Books, 2023). Father Nutt is also a contributor to the African American Catholic Youth Bible, published by St. Mary’s Press in 2015. He contributed a book chapter titled, “A Sankofa Moment: A Genealogy of Justice” for the book, Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around – Contemplation and Justice. (Church Publishing, 2017), and "Soul Care: A Brief Overview of the History and Nature of Spiritual Direction" in Kaleidoscope: Broadening the Palette in the Art of Spiritual Direction (Church Publishing, 2019). He has also published many articles about preaching, theology, evangelization and social justice. He founded Copiosa Care: A Redemptorist Spiritual Direction Ministry in 2021. Rev. Dr. Nutt’s academic areas of research and interest include: pastoral theology, homiletics, African American culture and spirituality and the intersection of ecclesiology and the work of justice. Father Nutt is a proud life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.