THE RECORD NOVEMBER 25, 2021 SPECIAL SECTION WWW.THERECORDNEWSPAPER.ORG 9
The gifts we bring to the Church
There are many gifts that African Americans bring to share with the Church, all of which are rooted in our African past. The gift of our very Blackness is a gift to the Church as it enriches every aspect. According to our African American Catholic Shepherds (Cardinal Gregory and the other bish- ops), Africentric spirituality is a gift with four central pillars: 1. Africentric spirituality is contemplative. The spontaneity of our prayer is prevalent in the Black tradition. Our ancestors learned how they leaned on God submitting to his love. 2. Africentric spirituality experiences are holis- tic, encompassing the whole human being - mind/intelligence, heart and emotions. 3. Africentric spirituality is celebratory and engaging in nature, visible in physical ex- pressions of movement, song, rhythm, emo- tion and appreciation. This joy signifies us as people from the African diaspora steeped in our Catholic faith. 4. Africentric spirituality is communal, origi- nating from the community perspective. The community's cares are of utmost importance and must be addressed before personal profit and advancement. The community also in- cludes life and human dignity elements and the myriad manifestations, such as social concern in nature and social justice outcomes. Our African American identity reflects our spiri- tual heritage in totality as a human person. Our spirituality is based on Scripture. From en- slavement experiences to the present day, we have heard stories from the Bible reiterated in sermons, songs/spirituals and shouts. God has always been perceived as protecting his people and preserving his children. For African Americans, the Bible's message has always been one of liberation and hope. In John 8:32, we read and internalized, "You will know the truth," Jesus said, "and the truth will set you free." As a people from the African Dias- pora, we recognize that freedom is a precious gift from God. No human being should deny another human being of this gift. Africentric liturgy and worship style are other gifts we share with the Church. According to African American liturgists, communal worship has constantly been an experience of God's power and love in the African American tradition. From an evangelization perspective, the liturgy of the Catholic Church has always drawn the African American community to the faith. In recent years, talented African American experts have adapted as well as developed liturgies to meet the needs of the African American community without com- promising the essential qualities of the liturgical celebration. In this way, we can speak of an African American style in music, preaching, bodily expres- sion and vestment, and this is a splendid oppor- tunity for the vast richness of African American culture to be expressed in our Catholic liturgy. In the words of Saint John Paul II to the Afri- can American Catholic Community and the wider church at the New Orleans Superdome in 1987, I express my deep love and esteem for the black Catholic community in the United States. Its vi- tality is a sign of hope for society. Composed as you are of many lifelong Catholics, and many who have more recently embraced the faith, together with a growing immigrant community, you reflect the Church's ability to bring together a diversity of people united in faith, hope and love, sharing a communion with Christ in the Holy Spirit. I urge you to keep alive and active your rich cultural gifts." Saint John Paul concluded his address with these words, "Dear brothers and sisters: your black cultural heritage enriches the Church and makes her witness of universality more complete. In a real way the Church needs you, just as you need the Church, for you are part of the Church and the Church is part of you. As you continue to place this heritage at the service of the whole Church for the spread of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit himself will continue through you his work of evangelization." Annette Mandley-Turner is the executive director of the Office of Multicultural Ministry, Archdiocese of Louisville
ANNETTE MANDLEY-TURNER
Celebrating
Special section from the Of ce of Multicultural Ministry
During this celebration of Black Catholic History Month, we take the opportunity to celebrate Black Catho- lics and the many cultural gifts they bring to our Church. African Americans came to our Commonwealth as enslaved people, some becoming Catholic during this time. During this period of slavery, they built many of our historical parishes and mission and served bishops, priests, and religious orders. During the long period of segregation after slavery ended, Black Catholics continued to worship in the back of churches and ended their lives in segregated communities. Thus, Black Catholics bring amazing gifts of perseverance and endurance in the midst of challenge and persecution. This long and difficult history has led to the gift of solidarity, arising out of their trials and tribulations. Black Catholics have a deep and authentic compassion for the struggle of the poor and a determination to contribute to the transformation of society and the liberation of all people in light of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Despite the many forces that his- torically pulled African American families apart, Black Catholics have provided us with the gifts of kinship and an appreciation for elders and the extended family, which is part of their African heritage and so needed by all families today. Our Black Cath- olics in the Archdiocese also provide leadership in their outreach to youth with many religious, academic, ar- tistic, and leadership development programs offered through parishes and the Catholic Enrichment Center in West Louisville. Visit any of our parishes with a predominant African American popu- lation, and you will experience enliv- ening and moving African American music and rituals that emerge from the past and present lives of Black Catholics in the United States. I encourage all Catholics to visit one of these parishes in Louisville or Central Kentucky to experience the hospitality and deep embrace of God's spirit alive in all of us! I also want to recognize the many great Catholic leaders from the past and present. These include Daniel Rudd, born a slave in Bardstown, Ky. who became a civil rights leader and prominent journalist. Father Augus- tus Tolton is the first Black Catholic priest ordained in the United States and now a candidate for sainthood. A member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Sister Thea Bowman's brilliant intellect, music, and dynamic personality made such an impact on so many, and a cause for canonization has been established for Servant of God Sister Thea Bow- man. Benedictine Father Cyprian Davis served at Saint Meinrad Semi- nary and very eloquently wrote about the history and experience of Black Americans. I thank our Black Catho- lic priests, deacons, and religious. I am deeply grateful to Annette Mand- ley Turner, Executive Director of the Office of Multicultural Ministry and her husband, Deacon Jim Turner, as well as the many lay parish leaders whom I hear about each year at the annual African American Catholic Leadership Awards Banquet. In September of 1987, St. John Paul II addressed the Black com- munity of New Orleans in the Loui- siana Superdome, and he closed his remarks with the following, "Dear brothers and sisters: your black cul- tural heritage enriches the Church and makes her witness of universal- ity more complete. In a real way the Church needs you, just as you need the Church, for you are part of the Church and the Church is part of you." St. John Paul is describing one of the great gifts of Catholicism, which is communio or our communion as the body of Christ. We celebrate our diversity as together we embrace the unity of our faith in the person of Jesus Christ, who calls us to know, love, and serve Him in this place and time. Thus, this Black Catholic History Month is a time for all of us to thank our Black Catholic brothers and sisters for their many gifts that have so enriched and inspired us as the Body of Christ.
Black Catholics bring the gifts of kinship, appreciation and leadership to the Chruch community
CELEBRATING BLACK CATHOLICS ON THE ROAD TO SAINTHOOD
To learn more about these Black Catholics on the road to sainthood, visit www.archlou.org , rollover the Services tab at the top of the page and select Agencies and Facilities to locate the Multicultural MInistry Of ce. Or, scan the QR code to access their online biographies.
Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman Servant of God Julia Greeley Servant of God Mother Mary Lange Venerable Pierre Toussaint Venerable Sr. Henriette Delille
Gift of Blackness Brings Life to the Church
BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY Month
An opportunity to celebrate the many cultural gifts of our Church
ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH E. KURTZ
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