Business Name. BLACK CATHOLICS IN THE ROCKIES St. Katharine Drexel Feast Day March 3 Canonized - October 2000 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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1 St. Josephine Bakhita Feast Day February 8 Canonized - October 2000 BLACK CATHOLICS IN THE ROCKIES St. Katharine Drexel Feast Day March 3 Canonized - October 2000 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Director s Note MAAFA Black Genocide in 21st Century America Business Name African slaves helped to build the richest and most powerful nation in the Page 2 Fr. J. Glenn Murray, S.J. Page 2 Suggested Readings Page 3 EXALTED The Spirit of a Woman Page 4 Institute for Black Catholics Studies Pages 5-7 Father Augustus Tolton Page 7 NBCC Special Report Pages 8-9 Supreme Knight Elected Page 10 Authentically Black & Truly Catholic Pages Internet Sites Page 13 Office of Black Catholic Ministry Contact Info Page 14 world. But when slavery ended in America their usefulness was at an end. For 150 years America tried to deal with the problem of the freed slaves. Some thought they could be sent back to Africa. They were kept in submission and denied citizenship. They were segregated and lynched. Various plans were put in place to limit their numbers. Some states required sterilization or birth control. The elite found the poor and the illiterate a drain on society. The American Eugenics Society recommended that inferior groups be eliminated if at all possible. Margaret Sanger promoted birth control as a means to limit population growth. The wrong type of people should not be allowed to reproduce. Gradually, the final solution was reached. Abortion was an effective means to eliminate millions of people from being born. The practice was legalized in 1973 so that there would be the right to abort the unwanted. Under nice sounding terms like women s right, freedom of choice, and Planned Parenthood offered respectability to the plan to exterminate as many of the unwanted as possible. Without realizing it, we have allowed or promoted Black genocide in our midst by the spread of Planned Parenthood clinics which are heavily subsidized by our tax dollars. Such clinics are usually placed in heavily Black neighborhoods to make access as easy as possible. Much is made of treaties to eliminate Weapons of mass destruction. The weapon of mass destruction which kills millions is legalized abortion. We have tolerated this genocide which has become politically correct in modern society. Mary L. Leisring, Director Office of Black Catholic Ministry (A Film By Life Dynamics, Inc., Denton,

2 Director s Note Mary Leisring Our Second Annual St. Josephine Bakhita St. Katharine Drexel Award Dinner will be held at Park Hill Golf Club House. On October 22, 2010 we will honor Deacon Sir Clarence McDavid, KStGG. He has excelled in service to the Black Catholic Community. We look forward to sharing this memorable evening with you. The nomination form is on our website: Please use this form to nominate someone for The deadline is August LOCAL NEWS November IS Black Catholic History Month Visit the Cardinal Stafford Library John Paul II Center 1300 South Steele OR Your local library and check out some books, tapes, other forms of media on Black Catholic History and share with others. For additional information Contact: Mary L. Leisring Mary.Leisring@archden.org NATIONAL NEWS Midwest Capuchins Promote Black Catholic Vocations We want our African American and African brothers to know that the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph (Also know as Capuchins Midwest) is open to men from all cultural backgrounds and can help you with your discernment process A lot of our friars are involved in work that promotes social justice and many of our ministries involve direct service to our brothers and sisters who are poor and marginalized. Great News!!! Our shepherd Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap is a Capuchin. Fr. J. Glenn Murray, S. J. By Mary L. Leisring As part of their lecture series at Regis University in Denver, Father J. Glenn Murray, S.J. was invited to speak on Let Us, Our Talents & Tongues Employ: Renewing Our Liturgical Ministry. Father is a renowned speaker and known for his expertise on the subject of liturgy. He stressed the dynamic nature of the celebration of the Paschal Mystery in the Mass. He went through the parts of the Mass to show how each part stresses action. He stressed the dynamic nature of the liturgy and how important it is to enter into the movement of each phase. When the celebrant says Lift Up Your Hearts there should be excitement as we respond We Have Lifted Them Up To The Lord. Like the angels who surround the altar we raise our voices in awe and jubilation singing Holy, Holy, Holy. With great intensity, Father Murray emphasized that the Eucharistic Prayer is not dedicated to bringing about the transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ for our personal communion but it is the sacramental renewal of the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross so that we may enter into the mystery of His risen life. We do not approach the altar to receive communion but to have an encounter with the living Lord who will transform our lives. As we leave our pews we try to leave our past behind so that we can be altered or changed into a new life in Christ. In response to a question about the changes in the Mass to take place next year, Father stressed that the Mass is not changing. There will be a change in words as the language of the liturgy is revised, but not in the format of the Mass. This will give us a chance to catechize which was not always done before. Those who heard the talk by Father Murray will find a newer enthusiasm for their participation in the Paschal Mystery of the Liturgy. 2 2

3 SUGGESTED READINGS From Slave to Priest A Biography of the Reverend Augustine Tolton ( ). The First Black Priest of the United States ISBN: ; ISBN: X The Classic Slave Narratives Gates, Henry New York: Signet Classics, 2002 Songs of Our Hearts & Meditations of Our Souls Moore, Cecilia, C., White, C. Vanessa and Marshall, Paul Cincinnati: Saint Anthony Messenger Press, Hagar s Daughters Hayes, Diana L. New York: Paulist Press, 1994 The History of Black Catholics in the United States Davis, Cyprian Rev. (OSB) New York: Crossroad Publishing The Journey to Chatham Why Emmett Till s Murder Changed America, a personal story By Arthur L. Miller ISBN: (sc) ISBN: (dj) Be the Leader You Were Meant To Be Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, 2002 The First Two Years in Youth Ministry Fields, Doug Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2002 Telling The Story: Toward an African American Catholic Theology of Preaching. Nutt, Maurice J. (CSsR) New Theology Review 21:4, (2008) Leadership Promises for Everyday-A Daily Devotional Maxwell, John C. ISBN: (HC) ISBN: (SC) Introducing Black Theology of Liberation Hopkins, Dwight N. Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York ISBN: (pbk) Slave Religion The Invisible Institution in the Antebellum South Raboteau, Albert J. Oxford University Press ISBN: DVD Maafa 21 Black Genocide in 21st Century America 2nd Edition Life Dynamics Incorporated Denton, Texas Living the Catholic Faith Conference March 11-12, 2011 Denver Convention Center ********************** Annual Black Catholic Retreat March 18-20, 2011 Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House Sedalia, CO Fr. Maurice Nutt, CSsR Director SAVE THE DATE Unity Explosion Music Institute June 15, 2011 General Conference June 16 19, 2011 Hilton Americas Houston 1600 Lamar Houston, Rexas ************************* World Youth Day August 15-21, 2011 Madrid, Spain Congress XI The National Black Catholic Congress July 19-22, 2012 Theme: What is Congress? JW Marriott Hotel Indianapolis, Indiana ************************ Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary National Convention July 27-August 2,

4 EXALTED! THE SPIRIT OF A WOMAN Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and God will exalt you. October 15-17, 2010 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Friday Evening Sr. Anita Baird, DHM THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH ************************* Saturday Morning, Keynote Ms. Julie Welborn, M.Div. GOD WILL EXALT YOU! *********************** Saturday Evening Keynote Joanne Glass, M.A., M. Div THE ALABASTER BOX ************************* Sunday Morning Keynote Dr. Joyce F. Gillie Cruse MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD! ********************************** MUSIC MINISTRY Veronica Downs-Dorsey and the Praise Singers Mercedes Major REGULAR RETREAT REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 1, 2010 SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE Hotel Reservations Hampton Inn & Suites 1201 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA For questions, please OBCM at bcatholics@archdiocese-no.org 4

5 INSTITUTE FOR BLACK CATHOLIC STUDIES NEWS The Spirit of God Lives in You...live according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:9, 12) MARK YOUR 2011 CALENDARS IBCS SUMMER SESSION JULY 1 JULY 23, 2011 DEGREE PROGRAM June 27 July 1, 2011 Faculty Week June 27 July 1, 2011 Three Week Master Degree Seminars July 1 July 23, 2011 Student Arrival and Final Registration July 1, 2011 Mass of the Holy Spirit July 3, 2011 Classes Begin July 4, 2011 CERTIFICATE/CERTIFICATION AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS (One Week Sessions) Faculty Week June 27 July 1, 2011 First Week Module Student Arrival July 1 July 9, 2011 July 1, 2011 Ministry and Formation sessions for Catechists, Youth Ministers, Parish Leaders Second Week Module Student Arrival July 8 July 16, 2011 Ministry and Formation Sessions for Catechists, Youth Ministers, Parish Leaders Third Week Module Student Arrival July 15 July 23, 2011 Ministry and formation Sessions for Catechists, Youth Ministers, Parish Leaders All Students Final Registration July 1, 2011 Mass of the Holy Spirit July 3,

6 ISTITUTE FOR BLACK CATHOLICSTUDIES (CONTINUED) SPIRITUAL AND MINISTERIAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS (One Week Sessions) ONE-WEEK RETREATS FOR AFRICANS/AFRICAN AMERICANS July 8 July 16, 2011 AFRICAN/AFRICAN AMERICAN Ms. Vivian Rousan, M.S. ELDERSHIP RETREAT Reflect on the role of the elder in the family, 55 years and older parish and community at-large. Optional afternoon sessions will focus on how the arts and technology enrich the lives of elders. July 15 July 23, 2011 TASTE OF THE INSTITUTE Sr. Patricia Haley, SCN and For African American/African men and Msgr. Mauricio West women age 21 and older who wish to spend a week of prayer, spiritual Living the Nguza Sabe in the Scriptures reflection, study and purposeful play Learn to draw upon the two sources of In the context of the Institute for everyday wisdom to live more wholly Black Catholic Studies. Black and Christian. FOR ALL PRIESTS AND DEACONS SERVING IN THE US BLACK COMMUNITY PASTORAL LEADERSHIP SEMINAR FOR CROSS-CULTURAL PRIESTS July 3 July 9, 2011 Frs. Gerard Marable and Freddy Washington, CSSP This one wee course degree seminar for cross cultural and indigenous priests and pastors explores theological and practical pastoral issues that arise in the dynamics of the pastor s role in Black or multicultural Catholic Parishes. FOR ALL PRIESTS, DEACONS, RELIGIOUS MEN AND WOMEN, AND LAY LEADERS SERVING IN THE BLACK CATHOLIC COMMUNITY July 1 July 23, 2011 Fr. Maurice Nutt, CSSR BLACK PREACHING IN THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY (PRIESTS, DEACONS AND LAITY) Daytime Master Degree Course (Mon Friday) 6

7 INSTITUTE FOR BLACK CATHOLIC SDTUDIES (continued) FOR ALL PRIESTS, DEACONS, RELIGIOUS MEN AND WOMEN, AND LAY LEADERS SERVING IN THE BLACK CATHOLIC COMMUNITY July 1 July 23, 2011 Fr. Maurice Nutt, CSSR BLACK PREACHING IN THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY (PRIESTS, DEACONS AND LAITY) (CANON 766) Daytime Master Degree Course (Mon Friday) Evening Courses ( one week sessions ( Mon Thurs) (6:30 9:00) FOR ALL LITURGICAL MUSICIANS AND LITURGYCOORDINATORS SERVING IN THE BLACKCATHOLIC COMMUNITY LITURGY LITURGICAL MUSIC SEMINAR For Liturgical Musicians and Liturgy Coordinators limited to 15 participants One Week Session Date: TBA Mr. Rawn Harbor m MTS LITURGISTS AND LITURGICAL MUSICIAN PRAYER FOR THE CAUSE OF FATHER AGUSTUS TOLTON O God, we give you thanks for your servant and priest, Father Augustus Tolton who labored among us in times of contradiction, times that were both beautiful and paradoxical. His ministry helped lay the foundation for a truly Catholic gathering in faith in our time. We stand in the shadow of his ministry. May his life continue to inspire is and imbue us with that confidence and hope that will forge a new evangelization for the Church we love. Father in heaven, Father Tolton s suffering service sheds light upon our sorrows; we see them through the prism of your Son s passion and death. If it be your will, O God, glorify your servant, Father Tolton, by granting the favor I now ask through his intercession, (mention your request), so that all may know the goodness of this priest whose memory looms large in the Church he loved. Complete what you have begun in us that we might work for the fulfillment of your kingdom. Not to us the glory, but glory to you O God, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are God, living and reigning forever and ever. Amen. Bishop Joseph N. Perry Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal George, OMI Archdiocese of Chicago

8 NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS SPECIAL REPORT Nineteen Sixty-Four is a research blog for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University edited by Mark M. Gray. A PORTRAIT OF BLACK CATHOLICS IN THE UNITED STATES Surveys don t often allow for one to say much about Americans who self-identify their race as Black, African American, Afro-Caribbean, or African and who also self-identify their religion as Catholic. It is all a problem of numbers and random selection. In a typical survey of the U.S. adult population only 1,000 people are randomly selected and interviewed. Of these, fewer than 10 respondents would be expected to self identify as a Black Catholic far too few to make any inferences whatsoever. Even in a typical CARA Catholic Poll (CCP), in which the sample typically includes at least 1,000 randomly selected adult Catholics, fewer than 50 of the respondents would be expected to self-identify as Black African American still too few for an acceptable level of sampling error for this sub-group. To obtain even a somewhat reliable portrait of the Black Catholic population in one survey requires a specifically designed over-sample of this group or a very, very large survey (which is often financially prohibitive). Two of the latter have been done in recent years- The Religious Landscape Survey by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2007 and the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) in The results presented in this post are generated from the Pew survey date (in this survey an un-weighted total of 35,957 adults were interview of which 252 self identified as Black and Catholic; resulting in a margin of sampling error for this sub-group of +6.2 percentage points). Of all adults in the Pew survey who self-identified their race as Black in the United States,8.2% also self-identified their religion as Catholic (representing 4% of all adult Catholics in the U.S.). Extrapolating the results to the total population in 2010, it can be estimated that about 3.5 million U.S. residents self-identify as Black and Catholic (this estimate includes adults and children. So who are the adult Black Catholics in the United States today? 83% indicated that they were raised Catholic and 17% said they converted to Catholicism at some point after being raised in another Faith 96% say their religion is somewhat or very important in their life (70% very important only) 40% described themselves as a Charismatic Catholic and 16% as a Pentecostal Catholic 42% also self-identified their ethnicity as Hispanic compared to only 4% of Black Protestants (the non-hispanic Black Catholic population 8

9 NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS SPECIAL REPORT (Continued) 36% are foreign born (20%) are non citizens) 46% are married (including those married and currently separated) and 82% of these Catholics have a Catholic spouse 65% describe their political view as moderate (33%) to Conservative (24%) or very conservative (8%) 39% have attended college 25% make $50,000 or more per year 30% are age 18 to 30 and 10% are age 65 and older A significant number of African Americans were raised Catholic and have subsequently left the faith. The retention rate for Black Catholics is lower than for Catholics overall. This rate is the percentage of those raised in the faith who are affiliated with that faith as an adult. Overall, for Catholics in the U.S. the retention rate is 68%. However, among African Americans who are raised Catholic they estimated to have changed faiths at some point. Where do these former Catholics go? Nearly two-thirds (64%) affiliate with another Christian faith. Three of ten (30%) either identify with nothing in particular (28%) or say they are agnostic (1%) or atheists (1%). This result is also different from the overall pattern among adult Catholics in the United States who are less likely to adopt another Christian faith. If they leave Catholicism and instead are slightly more likely to identify with nothing in particular. Thus, African Americans who have left the Catholic faith are more likely than all former Catholics in general to choose another Christian faith. It is important to note that these results are only based on 252 randomly selected individuals (N=851 when using the Pew weights). There is a need for a sampling design that increases the number of interviews in future studies for this sub-group for the Catholic population to ensure a more reliable portrait is available. Also, both the Pew and ARIS studies are based on questionnaires intended to be used by people of all faiths. Thus, there is limited content that can speak to issues that are specific to Catholicism. At the same time, these sources represent the best available data to study this sub-group of Catholics. For those interested in more information, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Subcommittee of African American Affairs (SCAAA), the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC), and the Xavier University Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) have additional information and resources regarding Black Catholics im the United States. (Nineteen Sixty-Four is a research blog for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University edited by Mark M. Gray.) 9

10 KNIGHTS OF PETER CLAVER, INC ELECT NEW SUPREME KNIGHT NEW ORLEANS - The Knights of Peter Claver Inc. has elected F. DeKarlos Blackmon, 34 of Huntsville, AL, as its next Supreme Knight and CEO. In an unprecedented election during the organization s recent Annual Convention in Saint Louis, Mr. Blackmon became the youngest Supreme Knight in the group s history. The dynamic young leader was elected on a platform of unity and progressive change for the century-old Catholic Order of Knights. Over 1,000 members from around the country were in attendance at the convention held this week at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis. The Knights of Peter Claver, Inc. is the nation s only African-American Catholic fraternal organization and the world s largest black catholic lay organization. The Order was founded on Nov 7, 1909 in Mobile, AL, for Black men who were barred from other organizations in the Catholic Church. The organization s membership has since expanded to include the entire Catholic Church including Bishops and Cardinals from around the world. The Order is named after St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest from Spain who ministered to African slaves in Cartagena, Colombia, in the 1600s. Peter Claver is said to have converted over 300,000 slaves to Catholicism. The Knights of Peter Claver is a faith based fraternal order with units in over 400 Catholic parishes in the United States and South America. The Order engages in a variety of national service projects and is a major supporter of the United Negro College Fund. The organization recently completed its National Environmental Health and Justice Literacy Project, a program designed to educate citizens of poor communities about environmental health hazards. The Knights of Peter Claver is headquartered in New Orleans and is a member of the worldwide International Alliance of Catholic Knights. *************************** DID YOU KNOW? Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) started working in African American Communities in the United States in In 1920 they started the first seminary in the United States to train African Americans for the priesthood. The first four were ordained priests in About 40 percent of African American clergy ordained in the United States including nine Bishops have been trained by the Society of the Divine Word. Their Seminary at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, survived hurricane Katrina and continues the mission of educating young men to be religious Brothers and Priests. 10

11 AUTHENTICALLY BLACK and TRULY CATHOLIC By C. Vanessa White (CNN) -- I come from a family with diverse religious traditions: Baptist, Methodist, Apostolic, Buddhist and nondenominational. My mother was a spiritual seeker, and when she became Catholic, I was baptized into the Catholic faith as a young child. Growing up, I attended a parish with Irish, Polish and black Catholics, and observed that the spiritual gifts of black Catholics were often diminished. When it was suggested that we include a gospel song in the liturgy, we were told that was not Catholic. "Ave Maria" was sung, but not "Mary had a Baby," a Negro spiritual. I learned about St. Theresa the "Little Flower," but not St. Benedict the Black. A Kwanzaa table was a no-no. I learned while the word "catholic" meant "universal" and "involving all," much of the gifts and experience of black Catholics were not included. Black Catholics have a heightened awareness of what W.E.B. Dubois called "double consciousness." This emerges from the tension between one's awareness of self and how others perceive one. Dubois used this term to speak of the experience of black people within the segregated United States. Today, a particular form of double consciousness is experienced by black Catholics: as a religious minority within the broader black Church community, who defend our religious affiliation to our black Protestant brothers and sisters while also confronting discrimination and ignorance from those within our own Catholic churches. What has helped black Catholics survive in the midst of almost insurmountable odds is a spirituality that bridges both our African-American experience and our Catholic faith. Father Augustus Tolton, the first recognized African-American priest, lived a similar struggle. His mother escaped slavery with him and his siblings, settling in Quincy, Illinois. He was baptized as a child, and by the time he was 16, he felt "called" to the Roman Catholic priesthood. No American Catholic seminaries accepted a black man, so in 1880, he traveled to Rome, Italy. He was ordained six years later, then returned to America to begin his pastoral ministry. After returning to Quincy, he was invited to Chicago, Illinois, by the local bishop. He began his new ministry at St. Mary's Church in Chicago. The basement of the church became the sanctuary for the emerging black Catholic congregation, the St. Augustine Society. His remaining years in Chicago were focused on ministering with and building a church for this community. He was a priest for only 11 years before he died from heat stroke. 11

12 AUTHENTICALLY BLACK AND TRULY CATHOLIC By...C. Vanessa White, D.Min (Continued) ALLY BLACK and TRULY CATHOLIC Earlier this year, Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that he planned to nominate Father Tolton for sainthood. It begins a process that will take some time to complete. Bishop Joseph N. Perry was appointed to highlight his cause. In literature promoting that cause for sainthood, the bishop wrote "Fr. Tolton grew accustomed to adversity during his short life. He brought hope and comfort to the dying and promises of better days for the living." His model of perseverance and holiness is a testament to all Catholics and persons of faith who are confronted with challenges. Father Tolton's experience resonates with many black Catholics. For every two steps forward -- the ordination and cause for sainthood of Father Augustus Tolton, the National Black Catholic Lay Congresses of the 19th and 20th centuries -- there are two steps back, like the recent shuttering of the African-American parishes and schools in the inner cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California, and the struggles of black Catholic lay ministerial leadership who strive to be accepted within the broader church. I have experienced the tension and the joys of being both black and Catholic in my 25 years of ministry. I struggle with the fact that many of my brothers and sisters of African descent do not know this history or see themselves mirrored in the leadership within the Catholic Church in the United States. It is why I went on to study and teach at a graduate school, to help my brothers and sisters understand, and see their story as a part of the Catholic Church. Despite the challenges, our lives are enriched by our faith and sturdier by the example of Father Tolton. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dr. C. Vanessa White. Editor's note: Dr. C. Vanessa White is assistant professor of spirituality and the director of the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. She is the coeditor of "Songs of Our Hearts and Meditations of Our Souls: Prayers for Black Catholics." Next week in the "Pulpit" series: Shaun King, a preacher known as the "Facebook" pastor, shares how social media is transforming his church. CNN's "Almighty Debt: A Black in America Special" premieres October

13 INTERNET SITES INTERNET SITES BLACK CATHOLIC STUDIES This is a direct link to Xavier University BLACK AND INDIAN MISSION OFFICE CATHOLIC BOOKS AND TAPES CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE CATHOLIC YOUTH ONLINE ETERNAL WORD TELEVISION NETWORK IN A WORD KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF PETER CLAVER NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC APOSTOLATE FOR LIFE NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS 13

14 OFFICE OF BLACK CATHOLIC MINISTRY CONTAC T INFORMATION Archdiocese of Denver Newsletter Black Catholics In The Rockies Editor.Mary L. Leisring Resources and Credits Mary L. Leisring Contact the Office of Black Catholic Ministry: Mailing Address: Office of Black Catholic Ministry Archdiocese of Denver 1300 South Steele Street Denver, CO Office Location: John Paul II Center for the Evangelization 1300 South Steele Street 3rd Floor # 314 Denver, CO Address: Mary.Leisring@archden.org Visit us at The Office of Black Catholic Ministry would like to hear from you, please use the space provided. 14