This month has been designated for highlighting the legacy of Black Catholics in the Church. On July 24, 1990, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States formally established November as Black Catholic History Month. This observance invites us to remember that Catholicism is not merely a Western or European expression of the faith, but a global, diverse communion rooted in Africa, the Americas, and across the African Diaspora.

This matters because the scriptures themselves remind us of the breadth of the Gospel: for example, in the book of Acts the Ethiopian Eunuch is baptized by Philip, one of the first recorded conversions of a Black African in Christian history.

Through the centuries, Black Catholics have endured oppression, discrimination, and marginalization even within the Church, and yet their faith, witness, service and leadership have advanced the Gospel in profound ways. Celebrating their stories strengthens our understanding of the universality of the Church and encourages all of us – regardless of background – to engage our faith more deeply.

One notable Black Catholic figure we should know is the Venerable John Augustus Tolton (1854- 1897). Born into slavery in Missouri, Tolton escaped with his family and pursued his calling to the priesthood in Rome at a time when U.S. seminaries denied admission to Black men. He was ordained in Rome in 1886 and returned to serve African American Catholics in Quincy, Illinois but after meeting resistance there finally settled in Chicago. He is currently being reviewed for the status of Saint.

Another figure to be aware of is Servant of God, Thea Bowman (1937 -1990), who was an African American religious sister, teacher, and speaker whose vision embraced inculturation of Black Catholic worship and spirituality. These are just two figures that invite us to embrace the beauty of inculturation, how culture and Gospel meet to live faith boldly.

These stories also help us remember that sainthood, leadership, service, and witness are open to all, regardless of race or background.

As we journey throughout November, let us give thanks for the ancestors of faith among Black Catholics, the men and women who endured hardship, challenged exclusion, nurtured the faith of others, and bore witness that “we are one body in Christ.”

I encourage all to come to a special evening on Monday, November 10 at 7:00 PM in McDonough Hall on the Saint Giles Campus. The evening will honor the rich diversity of our Church. Dr. C. Vanessa White will present “MOVED BY THE SPIRIT: Black Catholic Men and Women of Faith and Action.”

Have a blessed and safe week ahead.

With you a Christian. For you, a priest.

Fr. Carl Morello
Pastor
Ascension and St. Edmund Parish
St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish