On Nov. 15, the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey will hold its monthly meeting at Saint Bartholomew Church, located at 751 Kaighns Ave., Camden. The morning will begin with Mass at 8:15 a.m. at the church, followed by the meeting and a light breakfast in the Church Hall.
We are honored that the Catholic Business Network chose Saint Bartholomew Church for this month’s meeting because November is Black Catholic History Month, and this church in Camden, along with the Parish of Saint Monica in Atlantic City, were churches Black Catholics were welcomed in during the early days of the Diocese.
At the CBN meeting, members of the Black Catholic Ministry Commission will provide information about the “Holy Six” Black Catholics who ministered in the United States and are on the path to sainthood.
According to the National Black Catholic Congress, which is based in Baltimore, the decision to designate November as Black Catholic History Month was based on the fact that a number of important dates to Catholics of African descent fell within this month. Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day, is an opportunity to review the lives of Saints of African descent in the first 300 years of the Church. Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day, is a time to remember all those Africans lost to cruel treatment in the Middle Passage crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Nov. 3 is the feast of Saint Martin de Porres, canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962, the first black American saint. Nov. 13 is the birthday of Saint Augustine, the great Doctor of the Church born in North Africa.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are more than 3 million African American Catholics in the United States. In the Camden Diocese, Catholics of African descent worship in all of our parishes. However, the history of Black Catholics in our Diocese, not unlike American history, was marked by racism and prejudice. Our very own Saint Bartholomew Church was established by Camden Bishop Bartholomew Eustace as a place for Black Catholics to worship because they were often not welcome in other churches. Saint Katharine Drexel sent sisters from her community, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, to teach and work in the parish.
Over the years, Black Catholic priests and sisters have served the Camden Diocese so very faithfully and have made a difference in the lives of so many families. A native son of Saint Bart’s became a bishop, the now deceased Bishop George V. Murry.
As we continue with the celebration of Black Catholic History, we give thanks and praise to God for the many Catholics of African descent who have enriched our parish locally and beyond. All “to God Give the Glory!”
On Nov. 15, Black Catholics from our Diocese will share their stories with members of the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey. To learn more about the Catholic Business Network or to register for the November meeting, visit cbnsj.org.
To learn about the Black Catholic Ministry Commission, call Sacred Heart Parish at 856-966-6700.
Father Vincent Guest is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish and coordinator of the Black Catholic Ministry Commission.
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