Each November, the Church in the United States celebrates Black Catholic History Month – a time to give thanks for the enduring witness of Black Catholics whose faith, resilience and joy have shaped the heart of our Church. It is also a sacred opportunity to recognize the profound ways in which African and African-American spirituality continues to enrich the Body of Christ.
The faith of Black Catholics has enriched the Diocese of Camden for generations, with roots in Black Catholic worship beginning in Saint Bartholomew Church in Camden and Saint Monica Church in Atlantic City. Now, thanks be to God, Catholics with African ancestry enrich all of our parishes and institutions.
Faith Rooted in Africa
From the very beginnings of Christianity, Africa has been a cradle of the faith. The early Church Fathers – Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Cyprian of Carthage and Saint Athanasius of Alexandria – were African. Their theology, courage and witness helped define the foundations of Christian doctrine that the entire Church still proclaims today.
Throughout history, Black Catholics have borne witness to a faith forged in the crucible of struggle and hope. Enslaved men and women who were brought to the Americas carried with them not only the pain of oppression but also the spiritual strength of a people who trusted in God’s deliverance.
Their songs, prayers and gatherings gave birth to a spirituality marked by joy, endurance and an unshakable sense of God’s presence amid suffering. The Black Anthem, “We Shall Overcome,” is much more than a civil rights song. It is a prayer and a declaration of faith that God’s justice and love will prevail over fear and hatred. It speaks to the human spirit’s unyielding hope – that light will rise from darkness, freedom from bondage and unity from division. In its deepest sense, it is a hymn of resurrection, proclaiming that in God’s time, truth and dignity will triumph, and all God’s children shall walk together in peace.
A Cloud of Witnesses
Black Catholic History Month also invites us to honor the heroic lives of Black Catholic men and women from our country whose holiness continues to inspire the Church today:
• Venerable Pierre Toussaint, a Haitian immigrant and layman known for his charity and generosity in New York City.
• Venerable Mother Mary Lange, founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first religious community for women of African descent.
• Venerable Henriette Delille, who served the poor and educated the marginalized in New Orleans.
• Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, whose prophetic voice called the Church to be truly “authentically Black and truly Catholic.”
• Venerable Augustus Tolton, the son of slaves who rose above prejudice and injustice to become the first African-American priest.
• Servant of God Julia Greely, who was born into slavery and is known as “Denver’s Angel of Charity.” Her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Eucharist inspired her to perform heroic acts of charity for the needy.
Their stories remind us that holiness wears many faces and speaks in many tongues. They are a living testament that the gifts that Black Catholics offer to our country are important for us all to know.
As we celebrate this month, we are called not only to remember but also to renew our commitment to justice, inclusion and respect for all God’s children. Our culture is still plagued by the sin of racism. The immigrant community throughout our Diocese lives in fear as our brothers and sisters who have lived here for many years fear deportation. The Church is most fully herself when she reflects the diversity of God’s creation – when every culture, every voice and every people find their home in the Body of Christ.
Black Catholic spirituality continues to offer the wider Church a model of joyful resilience, communal prayer and radical hope – a faith that sings even in sorrow and believes that God is always making a way.
In the spirit of Black Catholic History Month, may we listen anew to that Spirit-filled witness. May we, too, pray with heart and soul, work for justice with courage, and rejoice in the God who has never ceased to walk with His people.
“We are the Church. We are the living, loving, hopeful, and believing Church.” ~ Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman
Father Vincent Guest is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Camden, coordinator of the Diocese’s Black Catholic Ministry Commission, and Vicar for the City of Camden.
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