On Feb. 10 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated the 22nd Annual Black History Mass sponsored by the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization. The following is adapted from his homily. Black Catholic history is American history. It is American Catholic history. And it is also a chapter in God’s beautiful plan for salvation history. It is the story of men and women walking together with Jesus Christ in holiness, love, and service, building his kingdom in America. And this history has created a strong community of faith, not only here in Los A ..read more

When three members of St. Ann Parish in East Baltimore sat down with leaders of the 'Dicastery' for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican in late October to advocate for sainthood for six Black potential saints from the United States, they shared their personal experiences of being Black and Catholic. "One of the things that we wanted to make clear, you know, just looking at the three of us, is that we're the last generation to have openly experienced the personal side of the white supremacy that existed in the Catholic Church in those days," said Ralph Moore, a member of St. Ann who has been sp ..read more

As the Procession of Ancestors made its way down the center aisle at St. Odilia Church in Los Angeles, volunteers walked with candles illuminating the photo of a departed community member. One by one the soul’s names were called out, each punctuated by the ringing of a bell. Tearful family members watched as the candles were placed on the altar. This solemn march was the signature moment of the 14th annual African American Ancestral Mass held Nov. 11. The event celebrates the contributions of Black Catholics, their triumphs over adversity, and the sacred connection between generations. “It was ..read more

Ahead of the U.S. bishops' meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 14-16, Bishop Joseph N. Perry said that new investigations by church institutions into their involvement with slavery and Indian boarding schools are "very healthy" and aid a collective examination of conscience. "It's never too late to delve into one's past. Examination of conscience is something we're used to as Catholics," the bishop told OSV News May 30. "It's never too late to look at one's self and to see what we're not noticing, to come to a better understanding of what we're ignoring or that we're too selfish to recognize. It ..read more

The recent discovery of a Black American nun's apparently incorrupt remains in Missouri highlights the rich heritage of Black Catholics in the U.S., experts told OSV News. During an April 28 exhumation, the body of Benedictine Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster of the Most Holy Rosary -- foundress of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, in Gower, Missouri -- was shown to be little changed since her May 2019 death at age 95. The congregation, which had sought to transfer the remains to its new shrine altar honoring St. Joseph, was stunned to find that except for a layer of dirt and ..read more

During Black History Month in February, Catholics are being invited to register to attend this summer's National Black Catholic Congress, which over the years has made history of its own. The National Black Catholic Congress XIII will be held July 20-23 at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside the District of Columbia. It marks the third time the Washington area has hosted the gathering, and each of those times, key participants included noted figures in U.S. Catholic history. St. Augustine Church in Washington -- the mother church for Black Catholics in the na ..read more

As the nation celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 16, both personal conversion and action are needed to build what the slain civil rights leader called "the beloved community," said Catholic clergy and lay leaders. Observed on the third Monday of January, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday -- which was created after a 32-year-campaign -- commemorates the life and work of King, a Baptist minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner who spearheaded the U.S. civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. He was just 39 years old. Profoundly ..read more

The Church begins November by commemorating the holy men and women of every age and place — those individuals whose holiness, “keep the world from turning into hell, ”as the late Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I., once put it. Among their number are what some us call the “Holy Six” — the Black Catholics who ministered in the United States and who are currently under formal consideration for canonization. Each of these men and women — Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, and Servants of God Mary Lange, Julia Greeley and Thea Bowman — dwelled in Ch ..read more

A Pew Research Center study has found that only one-fourth of U.S. Black Catholics worship in majority-Black parishes. "That compares with 80% of white Catholic churchgoers who worship where most attendees are white," said the study, issued March 15. Among Hispanic Catholics, 67% worship in majority-Hispanic parishes. The data was published in a report, "Black Catholics in America." Black Catholics are "more likely than white or Hispanic Catholics to say they think it is essential that churches offer a sense of racial affirmation, as well as to say it is essential that churches assis ..read more

A white marble tomb stands to the left of the altar in Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. It is the only tomb in the whole of the building. Yet, surprisingly, the remains inside do not belong to a priest, bishop, cardinal, founder of a religious order or doctor of theology. Instead, they belong to an uneducated, marginalized woman who spent her life struggling to find stable work. Her name is Julia Greeley, and she just might become America's first Black saint. Her canonization cause was officially opened in late 2016, giving her the title "Servant of God." Born into sla ..read more