Black Catholic History Month observed
23rd November 2015 · 0 Comments
By Kelly Parker
Contributing Writer
What do Saints Benedict the Moor, Josephine Bakhita, Augustine, Anthony the Great and Monica have in common? They are just a few of the countless Black and/or African canonized Saints (which includes three Popes); that have made profound impacts on the early church. They were celebrated at The annual Black Saints Celebration, held on November 14 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. It was the culmination of Black Catholic History Month which on July 24, 1990 was designated to be observed in November.
“About 31 years ago, the Black Saints celebration was started in the Archdiocese,” said Auxiliary Bishop Fernand J. Cheri, who served as this year’s prayer service keynote speaker. “We needed something that would galvanize all the Parishes and bring them all together.”
The event was done in typical New Orleans style, according to Auxiliary Bishop Cheri.
‘We met at Congo Square for a parade and prayer service,” he adds. “The St. Augustine High School band led the way and we proceeded down Rampart to St. Augustine Church in Tremé. It was a wonderful celebration, the church was packed.”
Parishioners continue to come out to events. According to Dr. Ansel Augustine, OBCM Director, over 450 individuals were on hand on November 14.
This movement began with a consciousness of giving Black Catholics a chance to witness their faith publicly, according to Cheri.
“We do it in our individual churches, but we never did it on a city-wide level,” he told the Louisiana Weekly. “The Pastors and the people worked together-the choir directors, religious women, seminarians-everyone. It gave us an opportunity to showcase all of who we were on a public level. It was good for the catholic community. It was good for the rest of the city.”
The Office of Black Catholic Ministries identifies and fosters the rich diversity of the Black Catholic community in general, and particularly, in the Archdiocese of New Orleans; with the mission to evangelize, highlight, enhance, and celebrate the contributions of the Black Catholic community as it shares its gifts in the Church and society.
“I think Black Catholic History Month is an opportunity for us to focus on the faith of Black folk in our church; we have such a rich history,” Cheri said. “It can be traced back, all the way down to the bible days-Profits, Popes, doctors of the church; people who had played significant roles in the development of the Catholic Church as we know it today.”
The OBCM added the Mrs. Sophie Aramburo Servant Leader Awards to honor individuals nominated by their church parish, high school or university. The recognition goes to individuals who have been instrumental in sharing and spreading the Black Catholic heritage in their parish and the Archdiocese. Over 50 recipients were honored this year, including Cheri.
“A lot of times, if you don’t know your history, you feel like you’re just jumping on the bandwagon, so to speak,” he says. “When you realize that we go back that far, we aren’t just ‘Johnny-come-latelys’ to the party, we’ve been here.”
When asked how many actual Black Catholic Saints exist, Cheri chuckled and responded, “Many. I can’t even say off hand; Yes, it’s that many.”
For more on the stories of Black Saints and the history of Black Catholics, go to http://obcm.arch-no.org.
This article originally published in the November 23, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
