The National Black Catholic Congress | 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 | 410-547-8496
® 2020 The National Black Catholic Congress, All Rights Reserved
A new DNA study offers insight into the horrific story of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
By Harmeet Kaur, CNN
The National Black Catholic Congress apologizes for including incorrect information about Servant of God Mother Mary Lange. The correct information should read:
Although little of her early history is known, Lange is believed to have been born circa 1784 in Santiago de Cuba to an affluent family. Seeking an area of greater peace and security, Lange left Cuba for the United States, settling in Baltimore, MD. (4)
iBreviary brings the traditional Catholic prayer of the Breviary and all the texts of the Liturgy on your iPhone and iPad.
Addressing Racism, Prejudices, and Migration
a resource for
homilists
Excerpt from the enclosed letter
written by F. DeKarlos Blackmon:
This Guide was prepared to assist bishops and presbyters reflect on the evil and harm of racism. While this is not a comprehensive list, it provides actionable steps that may assist Catholics to reflect and respond in faith. With the aid of Holy Scripture, Catholic social teaching, and sacred tradition, this is an open invitation to journey toward reconciliation.
Paperback
$8.95
Hardcover
$9.95
Leatherette
$24.95
Use of NBCC Copyrighted Material
When using NBCC photos, videos, or staff-written articles, you acknowledge and agree that the NBCC is not responsible for any action taken or activity that occurs as a result of the information provided on this website. All proprietary items of the NBCC are subject to copyright, and may be used solely in a not-for-profit manner, and attribution must be made to the NBCC by including the following disclaimer: Used with permission of the NBCC– ® NBCC 2020.
Content Available through the website is provided as-is: You acknowledge that the NBCC does not make any representations or warranties about the material, data, and information, such as data files, text, computer software, code, music, audio files or other sounds, photographs, videos, or other images (collectively, the “Content”) which you may have access to. Under no circumstances is the NBCC liable in any way for any Content, including, but not limited to: any infringing Content, any errors or omissions in Content, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any Content posted, transmitted, linked from, or otherwise accessible through or made available via the website. You agree that you are solely responsible for your reuse of Content made available through the website, including providing proper attribution.
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church is Seeking a
Full-Time Director of Music
Holy Redeemer Catholic Church is the only African American Parish in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. It is a vibrant growing parish of 340 families located on the Eastside of San Antonio. To apply: Send resumes and cover letters to: Very Rev. Kevin P. Fausz, CM,VU, Pastor, kevin,fausz@archsa.org. Click here for complete list of duties.
August 3-9, 2020
Saint Raymond Church, NW Philly
Throughout the week of August 3rd, a group of men who are preparing to serve the Church as priests will be cycling in the Philadelphia area. Their purpose is to encourage other men to listen to God’s call, to encourage parishes to pray for priestly vocations and to provide a chance to meet the men who will hopefully one day celebrate the Eucharist for God’s people.
An explanation of White Privilege and Black Lives Matter
Pass this along for people who don't seem to "get" it...
"In the simplest terms: 400 years ago white people brought black people over here and enslaved them. And sold them. And treated them as less than human. For 250 years. While white men built the country and created its laws and its systems of government. While 10, 15 generations of white families got to grow and flourish and make choices that could make their lives better.
And then 150 years ago white people "freed" black people from slavery. But then angry white people created laws that made it impossible for them to vote. Or to own land. Or to have the same rights as white people. And even erected monuments glorifying people who actively had fought to keep them enslaved. All while another 5, 10 generations of white families got to grow and accumulate wealth and gain land and get an education. And then 60 years ago we made it "legal" for black people to vote, and to be "free" from discrimination. But angry white people still fought to keep schools segregated. And closed off neighborhoods to white people only. And made it harder for black people to get bank loans, or get quality education or health care, or to (gasp) marry a white person. All while another 2-3 generations of white families got to grow and pass their wealth down to their children and their children's children.
Then we entered an age where we had the technology to make PUBLIC the things that were happening in private-- the beatings, the stop and frisk laws, the unequal distribution of justice, the police brutality (police began in America as slave patrols designed to catch runaway slaves). And only now, after 400+ years and 20+ generations of a white head start, are we STARTING to truly have a dialog about what it means to be black.
White privilege doesn't mean you haven't suffered or fought or worked hard. It doesn't mean white people are responsible for the sins of our ancestors. It doesn’t mean you can’t be proud of who you are. But it DOES mean that we need to acknowledge that the system our ancestors created is built FOR white people. It DOES mean that we aren't disadvantaged because of the color of our skin and it DOES mean that we owe it to our neighbors-- of all colors-- to acknowledge that and work to make our world more equitable. BLACK LIVES MATTER!
Shared with permission of Dan W.
The Pope App
Veils of Veronica: Cloth shows the face of Jesus
EWTN News Nightly
Veronica wiped the face of Jesus with her veils when he fell while carrying his cross to Calvary. The Veils of Veronica show the face of Christ imprinted on the cloth. EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief Alan Holdren takes us on a journey in Rome to take a closer look at the image of Christ's face.
Finally, a Bible that fosters faith and cultural identity for Black Youth
Catch the new issue of the
Josephite
Harvest
for news, interviews & commentary.
Click on the image at right for adownloadable pdf file.
Prayer to Overcome Racism
Mary, friend and mother to all, through your Son, God has found a way to unite himself to every human being, called to be one people, sisters and brothers to each other.
We ask for your help in calling on your Son,
seeking forgiveness for the times when we have
failed to love and respect one another.
We ask for your help in obtaining from your Son the grace we need to overcome the evil of racism and to build a just society.
We ask for your help in following your Son, so that prejudice and animosity will no longer infect our minds or hearts but will be replaced with a love that respects the dignity of each person.
Mother of the Church, the Spirit of your Son Jesus warms our hearts: pray for us.
Amen.
The Deadliest Plague of the 20th Century:
Spanish Flu of 1918
Historical documentary about 1918 Swine Flu or Spanish Flu and the role of World War I in spreading the disease among troops making it into a worldwide plague of devastating proportions. The video covers where it began, how and where it spread, the symptoms, how it affected America and whether it could happen again. The music is “Blood and Ivory Keys” by 19between. Used with Permission. Video is under exclusive copyright of Chromosome8.
Behind the Rank
Vol. 3 by Lila Holley
Chosen Vessels: Keys to Change
by Rebecca Florence Osaigbovo
Healing As A Parish Ministry
by Jan Alkire
Praying Aggressively to Counter Spiritual Wickedness!
by Rev. Kingsley C. Ogbuji
Slaying Dragons: What Exorcists
See & What We Should Know
by Charles D. Fraune
Humility Rules:
Saint Benedict's 12-Step Guide to Genuine
Self-Esteem by Augustine Wetta
The 2020 Daniel Rudd Fund Application Cycle
is NOW OPEN! Click here for more information.
The Holy Hour will include the praying the rosary, listening to a seminarian’s witness story and time for quiet reflection. Join us in begging the Lord to raise up young men from our community as well! Social distancing will be in place; face coverings are required. Call 215-549-3760 for more information. The event will also be Live Streamed here.
with Dr. Robin DiAngelo
Laudate
Help the NBCC keep helping others.
Your donation makes it possible for us to give to programs that
benefit Black Catholics across the United States.
iCatholicRadio
Click on image at right to download
the PDF.
EWTN
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES AND QUARTERLY NEWSLETTERS
Sacred harmony in a stairwell sends shivers, goes viral
Sarah Robsdottir
Kings Return, an a cappella vocal group rooted in Gospel, jazz, R&B and classical music, recently wowed their fans with a rendition of the classical Latin piece Ubi caritas.
Identity and Cultural Dimensions of Mental Illness
Black/African Americans
What happens at the intersection of mental health and one’s experience as a member of the Black diaspora? While the experience of being Black in America varies tremendously, there are shared cultural factors that play a role in defining mental health and supporting well-being, resiliency and healing.
Part of this shared cultural experience — like values, family connections, expression through spirituality or music, reliance on community networks and church — are enriching and can be great sources of strength and support. Read more...
About the artist and the concept for the mural
Enzo Selvaggi is a Californian artist and designer who led the team of artists that produced the mural of the Black Madonna placed in the Liturgy Room for the 2017 NBCC.
The mural is painted in the Beuronese style, and when Enzo was asked why he chose to do so, he replied, “The Beuronese style offers a special opportunity for sacred art in the New Evangelization because it proposes a universal compositional substructure of harmony, rhythm, and symmetry. Upon this substructure a fluid hieratic symbolism can be seamlessly grafted. That symbolism can take many forms, focusing on a particular doctrinal, historic, cultural, or ethnic perspective.” Enzo added, “The Beuronese style is named named after the Benedictine Abbey in Beuron, Germany and was developed by a monk, Desiderius Lentz, at the end of the 19th century.” Read more...
Tackling Mental Health Stigma - Strength Over Silence
The latest installment features NAMI Ambassador Chris Hubbard, offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns. Hubbard takes us on a journey back to his hometown of Columbus, Georgia, where he shares the unique challenges of playing competitive sports, encourages young athletes to take care of their mental health and relays the importance of asking for help.
Strength Over Silence is a NAMI docuseries that explores unique perspectives on mental health from the African-American and Latino communities. Through candid and courageous stories of lived experience, these mental health champions share their journeys of resiliency and recovery.
Portraits of the Black Catholic Men and Women
Rising to Sainthood
Download images by clicking on the portraits below
We hold ourselves accountable to our baptismal commitment to witness and proclaim
the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Job Opening: Head Women’s Softball Coach
The Head Women’s Softball Coach will oversee the intercollegiate Women’s Softball program at Franciscan University of Steubenville. The position’s most important duties include instructing student-athletes on the rules and fundamentals of the sport during practice (both in team and individual settings), preparing the student-athletes for competition, and coaching on game days. The Head Coach is responsible for supporting the academic and spiritual development of each student athlete.
Please apply online: Franciscan University Staff Positions
"Approaching the topic of racism in homilies can be daunting for those with preaching faculties. Many deacons, priests, and bishops have expressed to me the difficulty of addressing racism, prejudices, and immigration in homilies. While, yes, some are quite comfortable addressing these topics, others fear these topics are politically charged and should not be discussed within the Sunday Eucharist."
This drawing of the Liverpool slave ship Brooks was commissioned by abolitionists to depict the inhumanity of the slave trade by showing how Africans were crammed below decks.
(CNN)Much of what we know about the horrors of slavery in the Americas comes from historical records. But new research shows that evidence of the slave trade's atrocities can also be found in the DNA of African Americans. Read more...
How to Stay Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic
from the U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams
The mural artwork is available for use to NBCC affiliates, limited to not-for-profit use. Heritage Liturgical © 2017
NBCC Summer 2020 E-Blast
Full copy available here or click button to print
UPCOMING WEBINARS
10-MONTH WEBINAR SERIES
Next Episode: Sunday, Sept. 6th
6:00-7:30 PM EDT
Ending Sunday, May 2, 2021
What’s Our Story: NBCC
Young Adult and Teen
Webinar Series
This series will utilize elements of: social
justice, intergenerational exploration, and
pop culture to explore where their faith has
formed and informed their journey to
encounter God, self, and one another.
Presenters: Lauren Morton
and Justin T. White
Featuring African-inspired illustrations and reference materials.
St. Maximilian Kolbe
St. Maximilian Kolbe was born as Raymund Kolbe on January 8, 1894, in the Kingdom of Poland, part of the Russian Empire. He was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar and a martyr in the German death Camp of Auschwitz during World War II.
St. Maximilian Kolbe was very active in promoting the Immaculate Virgin Mary and is known as the Apostle of Consecration to Mary. Much of his life was strongly influenced by a vision he had of the Virgin Mary when he was 12. Read more...
Dr. Robin DiAngelo is transparent about white privilege couched in explicit and implicit biases in the video “Deconstructing White Privilege,” the first in a series of Vital Conversations on Racism.
Dr. DiAngelo describes the most obvious and explicit aspects of racism and white privilege, while going beyond the surface of racism. Her video serves as a foundation on understanding racism and white privilege for the remaining six videos in the Vital Conversations series. For more information click here.
IN THE NEWS
FREE Read-Along
The Little Human by Marti Dumas
The Prayer of Jesus (The Unity Prayer)
My Adorable Jesus...
May our feet journey together.
May our hands gather in unity.
May our hearts beat in unison.
May our souls be in harmony.
May our thoughts be as one.
May our ears listen to the silence together.
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other.
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.
O Blessed Lady, Spread the Effect of Grace of Thy
Flame of Love Over All of Humanity
Amen
Order Your Copies of The African American Praying the Rosary Pamphlet
Beautiful full-color
instruction pamphlets on
how to pray the rosary.
Rosary Pamphlets
in bulk quantities
$12.50 - $50.00
Order by clicking here
Children's Books:
Recommended Reading
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota invites applications for the Vice President for Inclusion and Human Dignity. Reporting to the President as a member of the President’s cabinet, the Vice President advances the university’s vision, objectives, and goals for establishing an innovative culture of diversity, inclusion, and engagement within the Lasallian Catholic tradition. The position also designs training initiatives on topics of cultural awareness, gender complementarity, disability, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and other related themes, and oversees compliance with Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans with Disabilities Act, and other applicable statutes and requirements, including serving as the university’s Title IX Coordinator. A complete profile providing a full description of this opportunity can be accessed here.
Lil' Red Wagon of the Servant of God Julia Greeley
Click image below to download the August 2020 Newsletter
Wednesday, August 5th at 7pm.
Saint Raymond Church, NW Philly
Join the seminarians for a Eucharistic Holy Hour at Saint Raymond Church (1350 E. Vernon Road in Northwest Philadelphia) from 7pm to 8pm.
Key to the Mural's Important Black Catholics: Click here to go to the Congress 12 webpage to view the key to the figures shown above.
EWTN’s TV and Radio: Live and On Demand
SEPTEMBER TBA
The Male Viewpoint on
Domestic Violence
OCTOBER TBA
Healthy Mind, Healthy
Faith: How brain health impacts spiritual health – and vice-versa
Facilitated by Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley and Panel
Mural designer and artist, Enzo Selvaggi and his family pictured standing next to Bishop Joseph Perry.
Deconstructing White Privilege
iBreviary HD
Required reading: A Black Catholic syllabus
by The Editors | U.S. Catholic
In the days and weeks since the killing of George Floyd and the protests for racial justice in all 50 states, lists have circulated of books, articles, and other resources to better understand the history of police brutality, black activism, and the legacy of racism in the United States. Read more...
To order your copy call Saint Mary's Press at 1-800-533-8095
or order online at http://www.smp.org/
Did you miss the first episode?
Click the video to watch it now!
Resources for Catholics: Mobile Apps
Over 11,000 Sold!
The National Black Catholic Congress®
Carry your Faith in your pocket! The CatholicTV app is a portable ambassador of what is truly good, holy and honorable about the Catholic faith.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Matthew 9, 38
Congress XII Mural
The Subcommittee on African American Affairs, Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church (USCCB) issues a guide to eradicate racism.
Click here to download.
DID YOU MISS THIS WEBINAR?
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young: Young Adults as the Present Presence of the Church
Facilitator:
LaSheka Beaman (L.B.) Morris
lb@lbmorrisconsults.com
Panelists:
Nathalie Borgella | nborgell@scmail.spelman.edu
Avery Daniel | usn3410@gmail.com
Ashley Morris Th.M. | amorris@archatl.com
CatholicTV
Click on book cover to order
Join our mailing list:
Secret passageways and freedom roads: Remnants of the Underground Railroad in NC
By Heather Leah, WRAL multiplatform producer
WASHINGTON, N.C. — When visiting North Carolina’s idyllic little coastal communities, visitors may not expect that some of those quaint riverside buildings once held secret passageways and smuggling tunnels.
Enslaved men and women escaping from large plantations in Raleigh or farther west would often float down rivers and tributaries – bodies of water known as "Freedom Roads" that eventually led to coastal towns, where they could catch a ship up north to freedom.
While waiting for a ship, they often hid out in swamps, wooded areas or, if they were lucky, a secret passageway in an abolitionist’s home. Read more...