Welcome to the Office of African American Catholic Ministries Newsletter

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1 Page 1 of 7 Share: Like 0 JULY - AUGUST 2011 Welcome to the Office of African American Catholic Ministries Newsletter Greetings! The Office of African American Catholic Ministries inspired by the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit in all peoples, facilitates the affirmation, acceptance and inclusion of the people of African heritage and the poor of our urban communities into Issue: 13 IN THIS ISSUE Save the Date - "Choosing Life: The Heart of It All" Reflection: Eccesiology and Exclusion Reflection: Lay Pastoral Ministry The Silence Is Broken at the Movies Deus Caritas Est - God Is Love Ohio Abortion Statistics

2 Page 2 of 7 the mission and life of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is in and through this mission that I am committed to providing the following services: Advocating and providing materials necessary for spiritual growth Providing formational and catechetical opportunities Providing Opportunities for educational outreach - for the appreciation of the other Serving as a liaison for national and regional African American Catholic opportunities Doing outreach to the African Diaspora in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. These opportunities in ministry have allowed me to see with my own eyes the saving power of God! In Love & Peace, Deacon Royce SAVE THE DATE: NOVEMBER 5, :30a.m.-12:15p.m. "CHOOSE LIFE: THE HEART OF IT ALL" Anti-Abortion Conference Purcell Marian High School Keynote Speaker: Most Reverend Martin D. Holley Morning Prayer - Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr Workshops The Conference begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. Cost per person is $ Registration will occur online. Evangelium Vitae: "The Gospel of Life" 2009 State of Ohio Abortion Statistics In Perspective: Number killed or missing in all wars in U.S. History: 1,343,812 Number of executions in U.S. history dating back to 1977: 1,099 Number of Abortions in the U.S. since 1973: 53,310,843 Total Number of Abortions in Ohio: 28,721 The Number of Abortions in Ohio by County: Cuyahoga 35.9% Franklin 19.4% Hamilton 16.8% Ohio:The Number of Abortions in Ohio by Race: White 15, % Black 10, % Hispanic 1, % Total Women Population in Ohio: 3,258,440 Total African American Women Population in Ohio: 343, %

3 Page 3 of 7 Bishop Holley is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on African American Affairs, and a member of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities. In 2008 Bishop Holley wrote an article "REFLECTION ON THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY AND THE CULTURE OF LIFE." In this article, Bishop Holley addressed the number of African American children lost to abortion every day, that the abortion challenge is interwoven deeply with many other concerns, that there should be an invitation of hope and healing to those who have already experienced abortion...and as individuals and church we need to proclaim and witness with our lives to God's love, the sacredness of human life, and the meaning of human sexuality and marriage." Fifth Annual Ecclesiological Investigations Conference: "Ecclesiology and Exclusion." Ms. Barbara Gobrail - Forum on Race Attendee On May 18-22, 2011 the University of Dayton was host to the conference that was held at the new acquisition of UD, the old NCR headquarters. During the day, various papers were presented, while the evening presentation, consisting of a panel discussion and keynote speakers were open to the public. On Wednesday evening, the topic was Immigration. Dr. Mark Ensalaco, of UD, spoke about the bishop's statement (2003) Justice for Migration. He felt that this document should be the guide for framing both the pastoral and theological thinking of the Church. Dr. David O'Brien, also from UD and Dr. Gioacchino Campese (University of Rome) also spoke, and stated, Globalization is a fact but the church does not acknowledge the mobility of people and the shift from a Eurocentric liturgy. The evening presentation on Thursday, May 19 centered on Racism. Dr. Leslie Picca (sociologist from UD) spoke on "White Privilege and Color." She developed the idea that words mean Characteristics of Induced Abortions: Unmarried 84% White 706 Black 900 Deus Caritas Est - God Is Love A problem of language 2. God's love for us is fundamental for our lives, and it raises important questions about who God is and who we are. In considering this, we immediately find ourselves hampered by a problem of language. Today, the term "love" has become one of the most frequently used and mis-used of words, a word to which we attach quite differ-ent meanings. Even though this Encyclical will deal primarily with the under-standing and practice of love in sacred Scripture and in the Church's Tradition, we cannot simply prescind from the meaning of the word in the different cultures and in present-day usage. Let us first of all bring to mind the vast semantic range of the word "love": we speak of love of country, love of one's profession, love between friends, love of work, love between parents and children, love between family members, love of neighbour and love of God. Amid this multiplicity of meanings, however, one in particular stands out: love between man and woman, where body and soul are inseparably joined and

4 Page 4 of 7 different things to different people and language is limited. Dr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator from Kenya, spoke about Global Issues and the need to place any discussion within a local context. Dr. Cecilia Moore (UD) spoke about Black History. Her most important issue (for me) was the statement that the changes in the Black Church came from the bottom up! Dr. Bryan Massingale spoke about his book "Racial Justice and the Catholic Church" which was published last year. He stated that the "Church has failed to lead the discussion and practice and therefore it compromises the Body of Christ! There were many quotes from his text and I would recommend reading it! The third night was on Women and Exclusion. Dr. Miriam Haar (Yale Divinity School), Dr. Sandra Mazzolini (Urbaniana University, Rome), and Dr. Vladimir Latinovic (University of Tubingen) each presented a paper about women serving in the Roman Catholic Church, in the Eastern Orthodox churches and in Protestant churches. Dr. Phyllis Zagano was the keynote speaker who presented her new book " Women and Catholism - Gender, Communion and Authority." I was impressed with the frank discussion that followed each presentation. I appreciate the fact that the talks were free and open to the public, leaving me with lots to think about. Article written by Ms. Barbara Gobrail Listening to God's Call and My Journey of Faith Mrs. Sabrina Burton-Simonson, LMPM Masters Student Parishioner - Church of the Resurrection Through the years I have learned that faith formation is a journey, not a destination. My involvement in the different ministries at my parish for approximately 15 years gave root to the passion that I have to do God's work. That passion led to my enthusiasm whether I was participating in the preparation of the Sacrament of Confirmation with the youth, or the planning of special liturgical celebrations, singing about the goodness of the Lord as a member of the choir, or whether it was keeping the faith community informed by way of the church bulletin or parish website. human beings glimpse an apparently irresistible promise of happiness. This would seem to be the very epitome of love; all other kinds of love immediately seem to fade in comparison. So we need to ask: are all these forms of love basically one, so that love, in its many and varied manifestations, is ultimately a single reality, or are we merely using the same word to designate totally different realities? Encyclical Letter, Pope Benedict XVI Evangelium Vitae "The Gospel of Life" Every threat to human dignity is felt in the church's heart. It affects its faith and engages its mission of proclaim-ing the Gospel of Life - a proclamation espe-cially pressing because of the new threats to the life of individuals and peoples, especially where life is weak and defenseless. Next to the old scourges of poverty, hunger, disease, violence, and war, new threats are arising at an alarming scale. I repeat the words of the Second Vatican Council condemning crimes and attacks against human

5 Page 5 of 7 The more involved I became, the more I felt that I needed more knowledge and a better understanding of my Catholic faith in order to serve more effectively. Answering God's call, coupled with the support of my family, my former pastor and the generous support of the LEAFF Program, I am currently enrolled in the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program (LPMP) at The Athenaeum of Ohio, pursuing a Masters of Arts in Pastoral Ministry. Since entering the LPMP Program in the fall of 2009, it has been an enlightening, challenging and rewarding spirit-filled experience. My goal is to be a Pastoral Administrator in a parish to assist the pastor and parishioners in walking the journey of faith to see the face of God in His heavenly kingdom one day. I would encourage those lay persons who are currently in ministry at their parish, or those contemplating taking an active role, to consider what The Athenaeum has to offer. They have an excellent program with extremely knowledgeable instructors and a very supportive administrative staff. The Silence Is Broken At the Movies On Saturday, July 9, 2011, the Office of African American Ministries developed a relationship with The Silence Is Broken to preview a feature length concert that sparks a dialogue about the state of HIV and AIDS in the United States. The concert film was shown at the Mayerson Theatre [SCPA] 108 West Central Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio The Silence is Broken uses the creative and performing arts and a sustained media campaign to halt the spread of HIV. After the screening, guests were asked to interact with community leaders to discuss the status of our community's response to this epidemic, the challenges facing those already affected by this virus and how everyone can participate in the fight to halt the spread of new infections. Guests were provided an opportunity to commit to making a change and take a pledge to break the silence in their own lives. The Silence Is Broken produces entertainment content to facilitate education, eradicate stigma [often the barrier to education] and advocate HIV testing for all people. The stars for this film are Loretta Devine, TC Carson, Patrice Rushen, Patrick Gandy and features eighty-eight gifted musicians, singers, dancers, spoken word artists and composers. life: "-whatever is opposed to life itself such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful selfdestruction; whatever violates the integrity of the human person such as mutilation,torments indicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself;-whatever insults human dignity, such as sub-human living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation,slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; - as well as disgraceful working conditions, where people are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons... all these things and others of their kind are infamies indeed. They poison human society,but they do more harm to those who practice them than to those who suffer from injury. Moreover they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator" (GS 27) Encyclical Letter - Pope John Paul II For more information on The Silence Is Broken call [949] or info@thesilenceisbroken.org, and visit at

6 Page 6 of 7 ETHICAL AND RELIGIOUS DIRECTIVES FOR CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The Pastoral and Spiritual Responsibility of Catholic Health Care The dignity of human life flows from creation in the image of God [Gn 1:26], from redemption by Jesus Christ [Eph 1:10; 1 Tim 2:4-6], and from our common destiny to share a life with God beyond all corruption [1 Cor 15: 42-57]. Catholic health care has the responsibility to treat those in need in a way that respects the human dignity and eternal destiny of all. The words of Christ have provided inspiration for Catholic health care: "I was ill and you cared for me" [M 25:34]. The care provided assists those in need to experience their own dignity and value, especially when these are obscured by the burdens of illness or the anxity of imminent death. Since the Catholic health care institution is a community of healing and compassion, the care offered is not limited to the treatment of a disease of bodily ailment but embraces the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of the human person. The medical expertise offered through Catholic health care is combined with other forms of care to promote health and relieve human suffering. For this reason, Catholic health care extends to the spiritual nature of the person... Rev. Mr. Royce Winters, Director Archdiocese of Cincinnati Office of African American Catholic Ministries 100 East Eighth Street, Sixth Floor Cincinnati, Ohio Office: Ext FAX: Facebook: "Deacon Royce Winters" Rev. Mr. Royce Winters Office of African American Catholic Ministries

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