National Black Catholic Congress XIII

Plans underway for National Black Catholic Congress XIII, July 20-23, 2023

Guest Columnist

Christine Streams

November is National Black Catholic History Month … a time that we as Black Catholics and those who minister to, with, for and among us are called to focus on our role and what it means to be Black and Catholic. This year we are preparing for the National Black Catholic Congress XIII, which is going to be held July 20-23, 2023, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD. The theme for 2023 is “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive,” which is based on Habakkuk 2:2-4.

The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus voted July 2, 1990, to designate November as Black Catholic History Month. During this month the church prays for all saints and souls. We also recall the saints and souls of Africa and the African Diaspora.

Our mission is for justice and the ministry of Evangelization for and with Black Catholics.

The decision to designate November as Black Catholic History Month was because several dates this month are important to African descent: • Nov. 1, All Saints Day: Review the lives of hundreds of saints of African descent in the first 300 years of the church. • Nov. 2, All Souls Day: Remember those Africans who were lost to cruel treatment in the Middle Passage when they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. • Nov. 3, Martin de Porres: The first Black American saint canonized by Pope John XXXIII on May 16, 1962. • Nov. 13, The birth of St. Augustine in 354 A.D.: The first doctor of the church for North Africa. • Nov. 20, The death of Zumbi of Palmares of Brazil, South American founder of a free state of Blacks.

The first Black Lay Catholic Congress was held Jan. 1-4, 1889, in Washington, D.C. Two hundred delegates attended. The focus was education for both youth and adults. There was a focus on establishing Catholic schools and the need for trade schools where our youth could be trained. There were also conversations with factory owners and operators, railroad companies and telegraph companies, etc.

We must continue the legacy. In preparation for the National Black Catholic Congress XIII, Black Catholics in every diocese throughout the United States were asked to hold a Focus Day of Reflection/Days of Reflection. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux hosted its first day of reflection in October.

Under the theme, “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive,” the Black Catholic Congress invited participants attending the Day of Reflection to listen to God speaking to them through Scripture to become a prophetic people moving toward a vision to thrive. Thus, the Day was designed in the following manner. • Leaning in: The Path of Reflection

An opportunity to pray, reflect and unpack Scriptures to grow closer to God • Leaning out: The Journey Toward Mission

Ponder and look around our world to identify what warrants our attention right now to encourage evangelization • What did you see and hear today?

Purpose of this task: • Moving toward writing our vision: Say it loud and clear.

What spiritual wisdom or stirrings did you hear during the day? • Articulating our prophetic call to action: Name it and claim it.

As a result of these stirrings, what action items were identified to be on mission as our “Prophetic Call to Thrive”?

A second Day of Reflection will be held this month, with Deacon Alfred Adams Sr. as the guest speaker. Deacon Adams is the director of the Office of Black Catholics for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The theme for the day is “Rooted in Faith.”

For news, current events, and resources on the culture of Black Catholics, visit https://nbccongress. org/. (Christine J. Streams is the diocesan liaison for Black Catholic Ministry.)

BC

MAEGAN MARTIN/BAYOU CATHOLIC

Christine Streams, diocesan liaison for Black Catholic Ministry, speaks to participants during one of the days of reflection in preparation for the National Black Catholic Congress.

Reflections from a young Black Catholic

By Rianna Reed

What does it mean to be Black and Catholic today? I mean really … what place do I have in this church for real? For me, being Black and Catholic means there is strength and power in embracing both identities. To be Black and Catholic means to add to the rich tapestry of the Catholic faith. In my praise, there is an echo of my African ancestry and culture. In my worship, there is a depth that has roots in emotion and honor, and in my oration is the whisper of stories told and untold. To be Black and Catholic is to join the richness of my experiences and be with the graces of the sacraments.

Moreover, to be Black and Catholic in the church today, in my experience, brings me to a quote from James Baldwin that says: “If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you do not see.” Meaning, to be Black and Catholic in the church today, oftentimes I realize that sometimes the chains that our people were shackled in, some of those shackles still exist today. Realizing that at the intersection of race and faith stands a Black woman that has deep pain from feeling alone or like the majority of people who believe the same things I do, don’t relate to me on some fundamental level. We can’t change the demographics of the church overnight, but we can enthusiastically encourage each other to extend a hand and be willing to actively listen and have a dialogue in our parishes. We need to continually engage in discussions on issues that deeply harm and affect communities of color: Issues that are not easy to talk about; issues like mass incarceration; inequity in leadership in our parishes and dioceses; or personal biases. Including Black Catholic history, saints, and stories in main Catholic education will help create a more diverse and richer story of the Catholic experience and provide a narrative of faith that allows for better representation for all. Solidarity must be built by celebrating the richness of diverse cultures. Once we can accomplish this and have deeper participation, it could bear great fruit.

Lastly, I would like to talk about our youth. Within my 11 years of being a youth mentor, teacher and confirmation coordinator, I have learned that in order to get the youth involved in the church today, simply ask them what their needs are. We as young adults/adults need to learn how to move out of the way and let the youth lead. The youth aren’t the future; they are our present; they are now. Let them lead, but guide them when necessary. (Rianna Reed, MBA, is a parishioner of St. Luke the Evangelist Church parish in Thibodaux, and the director of communications and evangelization, and confirmation coordinator, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church parish on the Nicholls State University campus in Thibodaux.) BC

The Legacy Continues

By Therese Wilson Favors

What if they did not rise to hear the calling of their name, that special sacred calling, which mere men cannot portray. What if they did not surrey here to build that steadfast path, a path which bold and brilliant builders know just how to craft. What if they did not listen to the rhythm of the drum that thumped out justice for the church and for their own kind. What if they had not known within that God was on their side. The God who stands for justice and whose power would not grow thin. Could we tarry here a moment just to listen to the wind, just to ponder in his sacred place of then. Could we tarry here a moment just to listen, to their voices, for the wind can carry them. Can we tarry here a moment for their spirits linger here. It is circling all round us in the breathing of the air. Can we tarry here a moment for the day has just begun. Let us join our arms together with the past and now the young. Can we bridge the hope of yesteryear with dreams and tears of here? Let us tarry here a moment for the legacy continues. Let us tarry here a moment for the time will quickly pass, when the future will come and greet us and ask: What did we do to help our people last? This poem was written for the 100th Anniversary of the Fifth National Black Catholic Congress, held at St. Peter Claver Hall, which was the original site of the Fifth Congress. The anniversary celebration was on Oct. 18, 1994.