Peace and blessings of the Lenten season to you!
After a recent meeting with the U.S. Black Bishops, it has been decided that the National Black Catholic Congress 13, originally scheduled for 2022, should be postponed to 2023.
This decision was made to ensure that the event could be held in person, as the safety of our constituents – especially in light of the necessity for travel and accommodations – is of the highest concern.
I send all the best to you, and I include prayers that God blesses you abundantly.
Most Rev. Roy E. Campbell, Jr.
President
An icon of Julia Greeley, the humble African American laywoman who received the
greatest honor in the history of the Archdiocese of Denver and has been declared a Servant of God, is becoming increasingly popular as her cause for canonization advances in Rome. Read more...
Joyful Mysteries:
Annunciation: humility;
Visitation: love of neighbor;
Birth of Jesus: detachment;
Presentation: obedience;
Finding in the Temple: greater commitment & devotion to Jesus.
Luminous Mysteries:
Baptism: openness to the Holy Spirit;
Miracle at Cana: Mary’s intercession;
Proclamation of the Kingdom & Repentance: Christian witness
and conversion;
Transfiguration: courage to bear
the cross;
Institution of the Holy Eucharist:
greater love for the Eucharist.
Congratulations to Deacon Ajani Gibson!
On Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the St. Louis Cathedral, Archbishop Aymond will ordain Ajani Gibson for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Pope urges Catholics to pray in May for end to Covid-19 pandemic
By Devin Watkins | Vatican News
Catholics across the globe are encouraged to dedicate the Marian month of May to praying for an end to the pandemic. Read more...
NEW From Our Sunday Visitor
Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood
Edited by Michael R. Heinlein; forward by Archbishop Jose H. Gomez
‘For many divorced Catholics around the world, Pope Francis suggested, the cost and intimidating complexity of the annulment process were among the reasons they never sought an annulment.’
By Maryella Hierholzer
National Catholic Register
Over the past several years, I have been impressed with the work of a young priest in Baltimore, Father James Boric. Read more...
POSITION AVAILABLE:
Campus Minister - George Washington University
UPCOMING WEBINARS
Check out the latest issue of
In a Word!
African American Catholic Podcast
Deacon Mel Tardy, National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus | Apr 26 2021
Fr. Roy Lee Join Fr. Roy Lee and Deacon Tardy for a conversation around the topic of Black Catholic Clergy.
Fr. Michael Trail "Being a Young Black Catholic Priest" | Apr 26 2021
Join Fr. Roy Lee as he welcome Fr. Michael Trail, a young priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago.
When someone you care about has lost a loved one, it can be hard to know what to say when sending condolences. But it’s important to say something. Sharing your condolences lets them know you care and offers comfort in one of the hardest times they’ll ever experience. It’s a loving gesture that means a lot. Read more...
There are many moving parts in today’s readings, each of which points to Christ’s command to love one another. In the first reading, Peter goes into the house of Cornelius to admit the Gentiles into the faith. There, the leader of the apostles demonstrates the great dignity bestowed on both the circumcised and the uncircumcised through baptism. Peter invokes the Holy Spirit on them as a sign of rebirth and renewal. Thus, he communicates love’s inclusive characteristic; Read more...
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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 2021.
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.
The mission of the Catholic Church of Washington is to spread the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. In the faithful pursuit of this mission, the Archdiocese of Washington is seeking a Campus Minister at George Washington University. In collaboration with the Chaplain, the Campus Minister. Read
more...
FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY OF STEUBENVILLE
JOB OPENINGS:
Residence Director, Female (in Gaming, Austria)
The Residence Director role is a full-time live-in position responsible for managing a complex, housing 150-210 full-time undergraduate and graduate students. The Female Residence Director works with the Male Residence Director and the Director of Student Life to promote a vibrant Catholic culture that helps students toward both growth and Christian maturity during their semester in Gaming, Austria.
By Henry J. Gomez | NBC News
As he welcomed the guilty verdicts Tuesday against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, President Joe Biden pressed Congress to advance the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, named for the Black man Chauvin killed while kneeling on his neck. Read more...
Faith Among Black Americans
By Besheer Mohamed, Kiana Cox, Jeff Diamant and Claire Gecewicz
Most Black worshippers attend predominantly Black congregations and see a role for religion in fighting racial injustice, but generational patterns are changing. Read more...
From Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Duncanville, TX
What is the Permanent Diaconate?
What Is The Ministry Of The Deacon?
The call to the Order of Deacon is a call to a ministry of service. The service ministry of a deacon may take many forms. Most deacons serve in parish ministry, primarily working with the pastor and parish staff in facilitating lay ministry. Like the priest, the deacon should call others to ministry by his witness and his example. Read more...
Catch the new issue of the
Josephite Harvest
for news, interviews
& commentary.
Click on the image at right for a downloadable pdf file.
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry is a world-class center of theological study, where students thrive with the help of distinguished faculty and a diverse, attentive community. We offer master’s degrees and graduate certificates in theology and ministry, as well as a PhD in theology and education, preparing students for a variety of ministries in service to our Church and world.
How to Apply
Explore Our Programs
Scholarship Information
Scholarship Highlight: Lift Every Voice Scholarship
"What does it mean to be Black in the Church in society?” In her 1989 address to the USCCB, Sr. Thea Bowman raised this important question. “It means that I come to my Church fully functioning...I bring myself; my black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become." This fellowship recognizes the need for transformative ministry and amplified voices in pursuit of racial justice and reconciliation. Candidates for this fellowship should demonstrate a commitment to the work of anti-racism and show potential for critical thinking and advocacy around the intersection of theology and race. This award covers up to 100% of a student’s tuition, based on merit and availability.
Please reach out to us with any questions at stmadm@bc.edu or 617-552-6506.
____________
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry is now hiring for two positions in our admissions office.
Assistant Director, Admissions:
https://bc.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/2/home/requisition/4548?c=bc
Admissions Assistant:
https://bc.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/2/home/requisition/4554?c=bc
DAILY MASS - St. Joseph Church
2020 St Josephs Dr Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
The only Catholic bishop who has consistently written on race matters, Bishop Braxton describes his family's history and his experience as an African American that he brought to his ministry as a Catholic priest and bishop.
Copies can be ordered by clicking this link: https://www.orderosv.com/product/black-catholics-on-the-road-to-sainthood
NBCC Price $5.00 with code
NBCC21 at Checkout.
Fr. James Boric, pastor of the Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, delves into the meaning of the Mass.
The Church and the Racial Divide: Reflections of an African
American Catholic Bishop
PREACHING AND RACISM: FINDING OUR WAY FORWARD
A Course on Developing Preaching for Anti-Racism
The contextually difficult task of preaching about racism requires intentionality. This seminar study about race and preaching invites reflective practitioners and students in initial and advanced ministerial formation to peer learning about racism in America and antiracism preaching practices.
Objectives:
Learning and applying the vocabulary of caste and trauma to understand racism in personal, congregational, ecclesial, and social contexts. Bearing witness to experiences of racial suffering. Exploring pastoral, prophetic, and theological strategies for constructive antiracism preaching. Praying to heal and repair the social fabric of a world torn by racism.
The following discounted tuition rates apply -- Audit: $794 3 Master’s Credits, $1,390 3 DMin credits, $1,558
Register at:
https://events.ai.edu/event/164122. Registration closes May 30. Registration is limited to 23 students, and ecumenical registration is welcome. Read more...
Devotion to Julia Greeley grows as beatification cause advances in Rome
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.
Council of Catholic Women - Archdiocese
of Washington
May 2021 Newsletter
(Click image to download pdf)
Archdiocese of Baltimore Photo
Black Faith Matters
The role of this documentary is to shed light on "one story" of the Black Catholic experience. An experience unknown to many in our church. An experience that, although unique, is relatable to the Black Catholic, specifically African American Catholic, experience throughout America. This film hopes to bring out the joy, pain and struggles that are faced in the Black Catholic community, specifically in the Treme area of New Orleans.
IBCS MASTERS OF THEOLOGY PROGRAM
Click the image below to download the Summer 2021 Course Listings.
IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT CONGRESS 13!
A meeting on Jan. 29 between Pope Francis and members of the Roman Rota, the Vatican’s highest judicial tribunal, raised an issue that Francis has returned to several times in his pontificate: annulment reform. The pope said that since 2015, when he tried to streamline the annulment process and make it less costly, he has received “much resistance” to his reforms. Read more...
National Black Sisters' Conference and LCWR Issue Statement:
The Sacred Right to Vote Must be Protected
LCWR has endorsed the national John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day (May 8) and is releasing this joint statement with the National Black Sisters Conference on the critical importance of ensuring that all people—no matter race, zip code, economic situation—enjoy the sacred right to vote. Read statement...
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From Bowman-Francis Ministry:
Joint Statement on the Black Lives Matter Movement & Black Catholic Responsibility
The National Black Catholic Congress | 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 | 410-547-8496
® 2021 The National Black Catholic Congress, All Rights Reserved
Click images below to download a complete pdf of the event flyer
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is taking applications for the position of Chaplain for the Women's Correctional Facility.
Duties:
The Chaplain shall provide the following services to the Catholic population in a fashion consistent with the beliefs and practices of the faith (addt'l duties);
- Develop monitor and deliver worship services, including Mass
- Provide instructional and personal growth opportunities,
- Addressing spiritual and emotional needs through pastoral counseling,
To apply or for more information, contact: Dcn. Seigfried Presberry,
Director, Office of Prison Ministry
E-mail: SPresberry@archbalt.org
Phone: 410-547-5575
or
Steve Anderson, Manager, Human Resources
E-mail: Sanderson@archbalt.org
Phone: 410-547-5513
Year of St. Joseph: Parishes and Catholic school draw inspiration from patron saint
By Richard Szczepanowski | Catholic Standard
The Year of St. Joseph – proclaimed last Dec. 8 by Pope Francis and continuing until Dec. 8 of this year – is an opportunity for the Catholic faithful to model their lives on the holy example of the foster father of Jesus, according to the pastor of a parish named in the saint’s honor.
“St. Joseph did everything by faith, doing what he could to take care of his wife and son, just as any father should do for his family,” said Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr., who serves as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Largo, Maryland. “He did what he needed to do quietly and humbly. We should hope to live like that.” Read more...
Condolences: What to Say?
75 Sympathy Message Examples
By Linnea Crowther
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. www.usccb.org/racism
POSITION AVAILABLE
Mount St. Mary’s University
Division of Student Life
Director of the Center for Student Diversity
By Vladimir Mauricio-Perez | Denver Catholic
DR BILLIE TERRELL is an active Catholic and
licensed and practicing clinical therapist. She recently
retired from the University of St. Francis as a Professor
Emeritus after 25 years as a full-time faculty member, Director of the BSW/MSW programs, Chair of the Social Work Department, and 10 years as Director of the Office of Institutional Diversity. She has maintained private practice for many years, providing individual and family therapy, consultation to employee assistance agencies and county-based trauma therapists. Dr. Terrell is a wife, mother, grandmother...and great-grandmother to Grey Josephine.
Portraits of the Black Catholic Men and Women
Rising to Sainthood
Download images by clicking on the portraits below
Click here to read biographies of the Holy Men and Women Rising to Sainthood. Click button under portraits to learn more about each Cause for Canonization.
Here's what the George Floyd
Justice in Policing Act would do
REV. KINGSLEY OGBUJI, Host and Introductions.
Fr. Kingsley Ogbuji SSJ is a priest of St. Joseph
Society of the Sacred Heart. A native of Nigeria,
Fr. Kingsley is pastr\or of St. Peter Claver Catholic
Church Houston, Texas, where he ministers to the
spiritual and pastoral needs of the people. He holds a
bachelor’s in philosophy from the Pontifical Urban University Rome, MA and MDiv degrees in theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and is pursuing certification in healing and deliverance ministry from Pope Leo XIII Institute in Chicago.
4-PART SERIES ON BLACK FATHERHOOD
Next Episode: Wednesday, May 12, 2021
1-2:30 PM CST | 2-3:30 EST | 11 AM-12:30 PM PST
Podcast: Inside the top secret process of appointing a Catholic bishop
Inside the Vatican | America Magazine
This issue features:
- We Must Stop Hate
- African American Catholics Less Religious
6th Sunday of Easter (Mother's Day): LOVE ONE ANOTHER
By Fr. Vincent Arisukwu
Canonization of Fr. Augustus Tolton: Significance for Race Relations and Interculturality
By Celia Jackson | Catholic Herald
Note: This is the first of three parts on the Canonization of Fr. Augustus Tolton.
On March 17, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology hosted its annual Dehon Lecture. This year’s theme was on the Canonization of Fr. Augustus Tolton: Significance for Race Relations and Interculturality. Bishop Joseph Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago, was the keynote speaker. Read more...
Eucharistic Adoration Is More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine
Catholics who care about US Black
history must read 'Four Hundred Souls'
By Alicia Pender | National Catholic Reporter
The National Black Catholic Congress®
320 Cathedral Street | Baltimore, MD 21201
Ph. 410.547.8496 | Web: www.nbccongress.org
The Mass Explained
FOUR HUNDRED SOULS: A COMMUNITY HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICA, 1619-2019
Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
528 pages;
One World
$32.00
PART 1: The Procession to the Collect
Christ comes to us (literally) in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Do we prepare well for Him? Do we recognize Him at the Mass?
PROGRAMS TO HELP DEEPEN YOUR FAITH
A Call for An Increase in
BLACK CATHOLIC VOCATIONS
Pioneering Black Catholic journalist Daniel Rudd - American Catholic History
Born a slave before the Civil War, Daniel Rudd was a Catholic journalist, who was the first black man to own a national newspaper of any kind. Click image to view.
Holy Hour of Adoration - LIVE from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
We know by now (or should if we are paying attention) that the Black American experience is not a monolith. Though there are some overarching themes, our individual experience varies widely and has ever since the first Africans were kidnapped and taken to America in 1619.Type your paragraph here.
Black Lives Matter at the Stations
of the Cross
A Virtual Prayer Experience
Produced by Eat The Scroll Ministry and Arusi Network
Four Hundred Souls, edited by Ibram X. Kendi (author of How to Be an Antiracist) and Keisha N. Blain (author of Set the World on Fire), presents a new way to engage Black American history. It is a community history of Black America, a story told by the people inhabiting it — a "for us by us" endeavor, conceived out of the premise that, as Kendi puts it, "solidarity is the womb of community." Read more/Order Book...
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Most Rev. Roy E. Campbell, Jr.
Bishop Roy Campbell, NBCC President, says the following about the book: "The book introduces readers to six Black Americans who dealt in their lifetimes with the human denigration and suffering that is manifested by American's original sin of racism. Yet they not only persevered, but truly lived as Christian people..."
In his apostolic letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (RVM), St. John Paul II tells how we are to assimilate the mysteries of the rosary by meditating on the life of Jesus as we contemplate each mystery. When we immerse ourselves into the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and we are rewarded by the "fruits" of the mysteries listed below:
This statue of St. Joseph and a young Jesus is located near the entrance to St. Joseph Church in Largo, Maryland. (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)
Sorrowful Mysteries:
Agony in the Garden: trust in God;
Scourging at the Pillar: purity;
Crowning with Thorns: fortitude;
Carrying of the Cross: perseverance in trials;
Crucifixion: forgiveness
for others.
Glorious Mysteries:
Resurrection: faith;
Ascension: hope;
Descent of the Holy Spirit: gifts of the Holy Spirit;
Assumption: To Jesus through Mary;
Coronation: final perseverance.
Archbishop William E. Lori celebrates the 150th anniversary Mass at St. Joseph in Sykesville in 2018. The archbishop has declared a Year of the Eucharist in the Archdiocese of Baltimore that begins on the Feast of Corpus Christi. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)
Archdiocese of Baltimore to launch Year of Eucharist to help ‘Encounter Christ’s Presence’
By Christopher Gunty } Catholic Review
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is launching a year – from the feast of Corpus Christi, June 6 this year, to the same feast in 2022 – to help Catholics focus on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Read more...
Mount St. Mary’s is eager to begin an enhancement of its Center for Student Diversity to better serve our increasing number of underrepresented students and to better educate the general student body on the importance of diversity in preparation for the global world. To that end, the Mount is searching for an enthusiastic and dynamic individual who is looking to grow professionally while guiding this initiative forward. For more information or to apply,
Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring
Call to Love -- A Pastoral Letter
Against Racism
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CONGRATUATIONS TO THE NEW FULLY INITIATED!
These beautiful gift boxes were given to new fully initiated Catholics at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Harlem this Easter.
Online Enrollment Counselor
The Online Enrollment Counselor is responsible for making initial contact with inquiries and with providing thorough customer service throughout the entire admissions process and beyond.
Academic Advisor
The Academic Advisor advises undeclared and online undergraduate students, maintains advising data, facilitates curricular changes in the catalog and student information system, and assists in planning academic events such as orientation, advising, academic awards, and graduation.
Director of Priestly Discernment Program
The Director of the Priestly Discernment Program is entrusted with the formation, pastoral care and guidance of the young men participating in the Priestly Discernment Program.
PODCAST SERIES FROM SHALONE CASON
Mental Prayers on Topics Such as; Catholic Biographies, the Saints and Church History with Commentary by Shalone Cason.
AN EXPLANATION OF CATHOLIC DOCTRINE
Explainer: What is an annulment?
(And why does Pope Francis want to make it easier to get one?)
Maryland Governor Pardons 34 Victims of Racial Lynching
By Brian Witte | 4Washington News
Maryland's governor on Saturday posthumously pardoned 34 victims of racial lynching in the state dating between 1854 and 1933, saying they were denied legal due process against the allegations they faced. Read more...
OTHER WEBINARS IN THIS SERIES:
- JUNE 16, 2021 - Applying Our Knowledge:
Family Treatment Options
FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
How Can A Marriage Be Declared Null?
by Rev. Michael Smith Foster, J.C.D.
A series of articles that are informative regarding the nullity of marriage
The National Black Catholic Congress®
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
To: NBCC Constituents
From: Most Rev. Roy E. Campbell, Jr.
Subject: Congress 13 Update
____________________________________________
Black Catholic Vocations Prayer
God our Liberator, we thank you and praise you for you are a God who walks with us, who knows our struggles, and who gives us strength to answer your call.
You have created us in your likeness…I hear you calling us to keep on keeping on. You have anointed us to bring glad tidings to the poor and to set captives free…I hear you calling us to go and tell the Good News about Jesus Christ.
You have blessed us with family and faith, spirit and soul…I hear you calling us to live and leave a legacy of your love. “O my Lord, what shall I do?”
Free us, Faithful God, to hear your voice. Help us, Loving God, to answer your call. Empower us, Lord Jesus, to be your witness.
Place our lives at your service as holy men and holy women, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, priests and religious, generously and compassionately serving our sisters and brothers.
With faith and unfailing confidence, we ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen
Prayer by Jesse Cox, O.P. and Mary Therese Johnson, O.P., with edits by Father J.D. Jaffe. Used with permission of the Diocese of Arlington Vocations Office.