10 WWW.THERECORDNEWSPAPER.ORG SPECIAL SECTION THE RECORD NOVEMBER 25, 2021
The Church needs you and your cultural gifts
When Pope John Paul II, visited the United States in 1987, he met with Black Catholics in New Orleans, and he said to the leaders, religious and laity: your Black cultural heritage enriches the Church and makes her witness of uni- versality more complete. He went on to say, "the Church needs you." That clarion call was a request to be unapolo- getically Black as Catholics and to use our cultural gifts of identity, aesthetics, joy, music, dance, preaching, hospitality, history, spiritu- ality, education, reconcili- ation, faith, hope and love for a Church that has not always welcomed, accepted, celebrated and valued our humanity, and to evange- lize and give witness that Christ's liberating Gospel belongs to everyone. Thirty-four years later, the call remains the same and it is even more urgent. How do we bring our cultural gifts to enrich the Church? Today Black Catholics must re-envision their voices of music, song, preaching and education to speak the true truth, in spirit and truth and in an authentic voice that demands change and recognizes the cultural gifts of Black Catholics in the transformation of every facet of the Church. Black Cath- olics must use their daily lived cultural experiences and gifts of Blackness to give voice to injustices that deni- grate the human dignity of Blacks. Our stories must be actualized in ways that cel- ebrate, not just in praise and worship, in places and the life of the Church where we are not at the table. Our gifts of spirituality must awaken all around us in new and renewed means of evangeli- zation and transformation. We can indeed enrich the Church against all odds by answering the call to share our authentic Blackness in all places and spaces that we encounter one another. Sharing Black culture, cre- ativity and freedom can be expressed and become evi- dent in worship, work, play and advocacy. Today, Black Catholics have important gifts of culture, history and traditions that the Church continues to need and one such gift is that of resiliency. Resiliency is courage, and this gift is steeped in faith. I am not nave. As a cradle Catholic, raised in a segre- gated South, I know as a people we wonder how much longer must we walk this faith journey? My response grows out of the continued realization that Black Catho- lics, must forever enrich the Church with their cultur- al gifts of Blackness in the work of evangelization and the daily lived experiences of Black people and in the knowledge that their faith journey is guided by the Holy Spirit and divine purpose. Source-Speech of Pope John Paul II~ The Church and the Black Catholic Com- munity-Address given at a meeting with Black Catho- lic leadership-Superdome, New Orleans, September 12, 1987. Dr. Veronica Morgan-Lee is the development director of the Hill Dance Academy The- atre in Pittsburgh, PA. She is the chair of the Greater Pitts- burgh Arts Council Board of Directors.
He brought us this far
On September 9, 1739, before there was a Decla- ration of Independence and Revolutionary War, 20 en- slaved men staged a rebel- lion near the Stono River in the South Carolina colony. These men, like almost all the newly enslaved arriving at the time, were Congolese and Catholic. Since there had been a strong Catholic presence in the Congo since before Columbus arrived in America, these enslaved men were not recent converts but descendants of generations of practicing Catholics. They chanted "Liberty" as they revolted, which in their na- tive language is similar to the word for "salvation." The Stono Rebellion, just like the Revolutionary War that came later, was bloody. Un- like the Revolutionary War, it was not successful. Sometimes the battle against injustice is lost. But the legacy of challenging in- dividuals and systems that deny another's life and hu- man dignity, however, con- tinues. The example is in the generations of men and women who professed vows answering the call of God, despite the racism and dis- crimination they experienced in their religious communi- ties. The example is in the faithfulness of Black Catho- lics to participate in Mass, receive the sacraments and pass on a Catholic heritage to their children despite a Church that has too of- ten been, intentionally and unintentionally, blind and deaf to their suffering. The example is in the words of the Black bishops in "What We Have Seen and Heard" (1984) and the other pastoral letters, "Discrimination and the Christian Conscience" (1958); "On Racial Harmony" (1963); "Pastoral Statement on Race Relations and Pov- erty" (1966); "A Statement on the National Race Crisis" (1968); "Brothers and Sis- ters to Us" (1979); "Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself" (2014); and "Open Wide Our Hearts" (2018). Liberty and salvation are not untethered for Black Catholics. The principles of Catholic social teaching are not words to be applied in select situa- tions, to a select few. They point the way to how we must re-imagine the world to fully embrace and live what it means to be fully Catholic and universal. They flow out of the knowledge that each of us is gifted the face of the Creator, saved through the sacrifice of the Redeemer and anointed with the breath of Spirit. This is the vision. This is the goal. Paraphrasing the words of Charles Burrell's Gospel hymn, made famous by Rev. James Cleveland, Black Catholics proclaim:
We don't feel no ways tired, We've come too far from where we started from. Nobody told us that the road would be easy, We don't believe He brought us this far to leave us.
Janice Mulligan is the African American ministries associate director in the Of- fice of Multicultural Ministry, Archdiocese of Louisville.
The principles of Catholic social teaching are not words to be applied in select situations, to a select few
JANICE MULLIGAN
African American Catho- lic Leadership can be traced back to the first footprint of the enslaved people when the settlers brought them to the Americas. Contrary to what many believe, there were Freed Africans among the enslaved when they settled in Florida. Several Africans were members of the Catho- lic Church or the Moslem Faith and used their lead- ership gifts and talents to establish the first Diocese in Florida. There is a popular Gospel Song entitled "Nev- er Would Have Made It" by Rev. Melvin Saps and the title and the words are often equated to the experiences of the Freed Africans who worked alongside the settlers in Florida. From the first National Black Catholic Congress in 1889 to the recent one in 2017, the focus of African American Catholic Leader- ship has been a priority for the Black Church and our communities. In 1985, the African American Bishops issued a statement to the National Conference of Catholic Bish- ops, which noted that African American Catholics are not highly visible in the Cath- olic Church. "If we are to change our image in the larg- er Black community, Black Catholics must be visible in many different aspects of Church life." It is now 2021, 37 years later after this statement was uttered. The question is, what progress have we made? Across the USA, dioceses(arch) accepted the challenge to offer numer- ous Africentric leadership development programs from educational to pastoral, from Lay Ecclesial to enrichment. For example, in the Archdio- cese of Louisville, we offer an array of programs: Daniel Rudd African American Catholic Study Certificate Program/ Formation Institute 12 Month Viongozi Africentric Leadership Development Certificate Program Kujenga Viongozi 3-Day & 4-Day Leadership Youth Process African American Catholic Convocations Interregional African American Catholic Evangelization Conference Annual African American Catholic Day of Reflection Senior Institute Xavier University Black Catholic Studies Institute Multicultural Ministry Certificate Program The matriculation rate is up by 45%, with 100% of those enrolled meeting the bench marc established for completion. It is common knowledge that effective leadership with any cultural group or people is usually the result of train- ing, opportunity, and experi- ence. The church is where these three essential ele- ments come together for Afri- can Americans. With OMM/ African American Catholic Ministries, we must continue encouraging the membership to share their gift of leader- ship in the life of the church. It is critical for youth and young adults to be exposed to African American Catho- lic leaders as role models as they navigate through the social illnesses in society, which is a part of the church. If we are to be instrumental in changing the present tra- jectory, we must develop new narratives of hope from an Africentric perspective with the African American lead- ing the way. Deacon James R. Turner is the deacon at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.
Effective leadership is usually the result of training, opportunity and experience
Changing the current trajectory, developing new narratives of hope
DEACON JAMES TURNER VERONICA MORGAN-LEE, PH.D.
The African American Catholic Five-Year Pastoral Plan of Action was developed by Pastoral Plan of Action Planning Committee members, which was comprised of National Black Catholic Congress XII delegates from the Archdiocese of Louisville, including members of the Office of Multicultural Ministry staff who served as process facilitators and members of the African American Catholic Advisory Council. These dedicated women and men shared their individual, parish, community, diocesan, and national needs, concerns and recommendations and ultimately developed a list of six priorities, which include objectives and action steps, that will be implemented, reviewed and completed through 2023 and beyond. They are: Spirituality & Saints, Leadership, Vocations, Racism/Social Justice, Youth Ministry, and Catechesis. PRIORITY I: SPIRITUALITY & SAINTS It is required and necessary that African American Catholics develop opportunities to remember African traditions that forged a Black spirituality that incorporates cultural symbols, language and experiences of the lives of Black saints. This should be accomplished by initiating liturgies and Scripture studies from an Africentric perspective for all members of the worshiping community and by promoting the invitation for Black families, women, men and children to become engaged in all aspects of church ministry that will authentically celebrate and nurture the virtues and spirituality of those who lived lives that were hallmarks of social justice while being committed to their spiritual and faith journeys. PRIORITY II: LEADERSHIP The future of the Catholic Church requires the development and nurturing of African Americans in positions of leadership that will enrich the church in ministry that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming of the unique gifts of African American Catholics. Our history as a church has excluded African American leadership. Nonetheless, over the 200+ years of United States history African American Catholic leadership emerged. Today the church's future demands that the church create opportunities to engage and raise up African American leaders for African American communities and for the larger church. PRIORITY III: VOCATIONS Today's call to get in the game is tougher to answer than in years gone by. The call to vocations in the Black community must be a time of deep prayer, listening to God and reflecting on personal blessings and on how God carried us through the rough times of our lives only to bring us to moments of sheer joy and accomplishments. The fears, anguish and disappointments within the church today invites each Catholic to place his or her faith in the power of God and to be open unconditionally to how to answer God's call to be of service and ministry in the church. PRIORITY IV: RACISM/ SOCIAL JUSTICE This year, 2018, we celebrate many of the anniversaries of the Civil Rights Movement and the gains made over the past 50 years. To most adults and to many youths, it seems as if we have taken giant steps back in time with the call for Black Lives Matter and the blatant hatred that we witness daily in our nation for Blacks, Latinos, Muslims and immigrants. Our rallying cry must be, "I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me." The sin of racism is pervasive in our nation and in our churches. As Black Catholics, we must speak our truth and believe that our baptism gives us a prophetic voice that must continue to loudly proclaim, as Black Catholics, we are singular in our purpose to expose the sin of racism in all aspects of the life of the Catholic Church. Infused with the Holy Spirit we will take our place in the church and continue to demand that the church never stop working to be what Christ has called it to be: One Vine and Many Branches. PRIORITY V: YOUTH MINISTRY Today, youth across the country are showing us in countless ways that they can and are making a difference. They are answering the call to be of service to their churches, schools and civic communities in ways that are innovative and focused on change. The actions, voices and engagement of youth are necessary to the future of the Catholic Church and in particular to the future of Black Catholics throughout the country. The youth in our parishes desire to become involved in ministries and social justice, and they have answers that are authentic. The church needs the openness and thoughtful ways of youth to speak their truths and relationships with Christ. PRIORITY VI: CATECHESIS The church must gather those who are hungry for spiritual grounding in a time when everywhere we turn there is little hope. We must tell the stories of how the church in Black parishes throughout the nation has been steeped in serving Black communities with teachings and celebrations that provided hope and education to African Americans, many of whom today carry and pass on the rich legacies of Black religious and lay who were committed to a deep and abiding faith and spirituality. We must reach back and become centered in African traditions that will link our past with today's new modes of learning to become engaged in our faith.
The Archdiocese of Louisville's African American Catholic Five-Year Pastoral Plan of Action
AFRICENTRIC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
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