Black History Month – February – Presentation at Home

We Celebrate Black History Month

As a church, we recognize that God is calling everyone’s attention to the role and witness of black Catholics. Some of the extraordinary people highlighted here show us that the church needs saints who can speak to the issues of the day. We encourage you to read the attached articles about some strong, bold and faithful Catholic Christians who challenge the church act with integrity and know the complex history of Black Catholics.

NEW! Upcoming Documentary on the Black Church on PBS on Feb 16 and 17, 2021. Read more about it here.

Read about Fr. Augustus Tolten, the first African-American Catholic Priest, Sr Thea Bowman, the first black member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, and others who are candidates for Sainthood in our Church: https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/sainthood-causes-draw-focus-black-catholics-and-need-justice

Who will be the first black Saint in the United States? https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/01/21/black-catholic-saints-united-states-239730

Read this article about Black Catholic History: https://uscatholic.org/articles/202010/in-the-beginning-there-were-black-catholics/

Here is an article on Black Catholics in America (The Atlantic): https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/black-catholics/544754/

Read this article about National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman and her Black Catholic parish in Los Angeles (America Magazine): https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/01/29/amanda-gorman-black-catholic-parish-239858

Here is a great article on the Contributions of Black Catholics: https://www.simplycatholic.com/celebrating-the-contributions-of-black-catholics/

A tapestry portrait of St. Josephine Bakhita, an African slave who died in 1947, hangs from the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica during her canonization at the Vatican Oct. 1, 2000. St. Bakhita has become an intercessor for Sudanese Catholics who pray for her help in ending the conflict in Darfur. St. Bakhita was born in the Darfur region of what is now Sudan. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters) (Sept. 5, 2008)

Here are some article on Black Saints from the National Catholic Reporter:

Black Saints: Ethiopian eunuch

NOV 26, 2013

Did you know one of the first foreigners mentioned in the Bible to be baptized was an African?

Black Saints: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church

NOV 25, 2013

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Washington, DC, was formed because black Catholics were denied full participation in the parish life at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church.

Black Saints: Origen

NOV 24, 2013

Did you know that one of the greatest Bible scholars, Origen, was from ancient Egypt?

Black Saints: Toussaint L’Ouverture

NOV 23, 2013

Did you know that a black Haitian Catholic, Toussaint L’Ouverture played a key role in the first successful attempted by a salve population in the Americas and world to win independence from European colonialism?