HOUSTON — To commemorate Black Catholic History Month, the Vicar for Catholics of African Descent is presenting “Black Catholic History Month - On The Road To Sainthood.” There is no cost to attend.
Sessions continue the rest of the month with two presentations. The first is on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Mary of the Purification Parish, located at 3006 Rosedale Ave. in Houston. The last one is on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish, located 4600 Reed Rd. in Houston.
Father Reginald Samuels, vicar for the Ministry for Catholics of African American Descent and pastor at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Deer Park, said the presentations are for “All those who have a love of Catholic Church history, and those who want to further advance the cause of sainthood for the lives those who will be presented.”
On Nov. 13, Servant God Julia Greeley and Servant of God Thea Bowman will be discussed, with a presentation led by Father Manual Williams, C.R.
He has served as director of Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South, Inc., and pastor of Resurrection Catholic Church in Montgomery, Alabama, since July of 1990.
Born in Aliceville, Alabama, and raised in Montgomery, he professed his first vows on May 30, 1982. He was ordained on May 23, 1987, as a member of the Congregation of the Resurrection. Father Williams has served on the boards of several national and local organizations, including the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus among others.
On Nov. 20, the Venerable Augustus Tolton and Servant of God Mary Lange will be discussed, with a presentation led by Father Canon A. Gerard Jordan.
Despite a different path towards the religious life, having served in the U.S. Marines, worked in the business sector for 20 years, and having previously married with children, Father Jordan was ordained a priest on July 9, 2016, in Philadelphia.
He currently lives in Chicago, where in 2013, he was appointed special assistant to the bishop and Diocesan Postulator for the Cause of the Canonization for Servant of God, Father Augustus Tolton.
In November 2014, the Tolton Ambassador Initiative was created, which is Phase Two of the Cause, and he was elevated to the Promoter of the Cause for the Tolton Ambassador Programs around the U.S. by the Petitioner of the Cause, Francis Cardinal George, and the Postulator of the Cause, Bishop Joseph N. Perry.
Members of the Archdiocese’s Nation Black Catholic Congress XII team and committee members of the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver and the Sisters in the Spirit Inc. organizations will assist in the presentation sessions.
Father Samuels said the Nation Black Catholic Congress of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in their 2017 pastoral plan of action challenged every diocese of the U.S. to “teach the lives of the Black Catholic holy women and men who are being considered for sainthood.”
The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated November as Black Catholic History Month on Jul. 24, 1990.
Bishop Joseph L. Howze, then retired bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, wrote, “The struggles of African American Catholics in the United States are recorded in historical documents. Despite the social conditions of segregation and discrimination, African American Catholics have held steadfast in the practice of their faith. As disciples of Jesus Christ, they have taken up their cross to follow Jesus. This is a mark of true discipleship.”
“We are all called to learn the rich history of the African American Catholic experience here in the United States,” Father Samuels said. “The study of African American Catholic History is an integral part of the American religious tradition. From the early 15th century to the present day, African and African American Catholics have had continuous active participation in the Church. African American Catholic history is Catholic history.”
Registration is required for a lunch count. To register, visit https://archgh.cventevents.com/OntheRoadtoSainthood.