Archived Posts

In Commemoration of Black History Month, “Let Us Be Faithful Stewards of Memory,” Say Bishop Garcia and Bishop Campbell

"This February marks one hundred years of commemorating Black history in the United States. This milestone is an opportunity for us to prayerfully reflect on the ways history has been preserved, honored, and passed on across generations."

Black Catholic History Month

Our Subcommittee Chair, Bishop Roy Campbell, recorded a message for Black Catholic History Month for the USCCB.  You can view it here:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z-uBT9nFzL8

You can also view other video testimonies about Black Catholic history month here:  https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs/black-catholic-history-month-video-testimonies

Supreme Lady Hilda Wiltz - Centennial Anniversary of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary

Supreme Lady, Hilda Wiltz, reflects on the legacy and impact of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary during their Centennial Anniversary.

Black Catholics and Public Policy

 By Ron Jackson

My role in Catholic Policy dates to the late 1980s when I was first a member of the Domestic Policy Committee at USCCB and eventually a full-time Policy Analyst at USCCB from 1991-1995.

BCYA Document 2025

The Subcommittee has been conducting listening sessions with Black Catholic Young Adults (ages 18-40) around the country.  This aligns with the Mission Mandate of the USCCB.  You can read the revised report here.

Vocations Webinar

Thursday, November 13th, 7 PM CT / 8 PM ET

To view the recording of the webinar, please go to: www.kofpc.org/1113

The Importance of Listening to Black Catholic Young Adults

A reflection by Nyle Ayana Grimes

Listening to Black Catholic young adults is not only an act of respect—it is a commitment to the vitality and future of the Church. This is precisely why the Black Catholic Young Adult (BCYA) Listening Sessions held across the United States are invaluable. Black Catholic young adults are heirs to a rich spiritual heritage, carriers of cultural traditions, and crucial partners in shaping the future of Catholic life in this country. In our most recent session in Washington, D.C., participants engaged directly with leadership from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Reflection on Pope Leo and his Black Catholic Roots

By Jari C. Honora

On May 8, 2025, the world's 1.4 billion Catholics were doubly surprised by the rapid election of a new pope (on the conclave's second day) and the election of the first American pope. I was at work in the research center of the Historic New Orleans Collection when the news began to buzz that a pope had been elected. Upon the announcement of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, my first thought was “Who is this American whom so few Americans seem to know?” That was the question that led me to explore the biographical details and family history of our new Holy Father. 

Full & Authentic Connections with Black Catholic Families

 By Efran Menny (Archdiocese of Galveston/Houston)

As my wife and I exited the church, we were always greeted by a familiar church staff  that rushed to greet us with great enthusiasm. “Always a pleasure to see you and your wife,” they would exclaim with a smile wide from cheek to cheek. Initially, when my wife started accompanying me to Mass, it felt like a jovial encounter of genuine appreciation but overtime, enthusiasm morphed into a performative embrace as we were one of the few, if not only, Black American Catholic married couples in our diverse parish.

My Church, My Home: The Hope of the Election of Pope Leo XIV

 By Kayla August

If I’m honest, it’s not always easy to be Catholic, particularly from a minority group. Being Black and Catholic puts you in the minority group in both the Catholic AND Black communities, as I work to explain to those inside and outside of my community the beauty of the unique intersection of the African American Roman Catholic experience. If that weren’t enough, being a faith-filled young adult in a primarily “spiritual but not religious” modern context requires its moments of explanation. Let’s all be honest, the church is often not doing me any favors as I work to defend it. People wonder why I can be part of an institution that preaches love, yet many marginalized people fail to experience it when they need it most.

Diocese of Birmingham: Black Catholic Young Adult Listening Session “Where Do I Fit In?”

By Ethan Ward

My name is Ethan Ward, and I’m a FOCUS Missionary serving at the Auraria Campus in Denver, CO. I had the honor and the privilege to be in Birmingham for the Black Catholic Young Adult Listening Session and the one word I could use to describe it was passionate. Being in those rooms with other fellow black Catholics, I could recognize the people really desire an increase of black Catholic young adults into the Church because it’s not many of us.

The Hope Found in Campus Ministry Communities

By Fiona Williams and Myles Griffin (Howard University Bison Catholic Campus Ministry)

A lot of parents worry when they send their children off to college, they will not go to church. Well…they are not exactly wrong. I came to Howard University in August 2021 and did not seek out a church home. After an enlightening freshman year filled with the highs and lows of being a college freshman navigating a new city, friendships, and coursework, I started my sophomore year asking God to open my heart to finding a church in Washington DC.
 

Hope of Harvest

By CJ and Dena Washington

As we laid our heads to rest on election night, one truth became clear: no matter the outcome, the world would never be the same. Change was inevitable, and with it, a call to embrace hope as our guiding force. Today, we sit with unwavering confidence in the path God has laid before us. In the face of uncertainty, hope rises, becoming the foundation of our journey. 

Vocational Discernment: Creating a Culture of Vocations

 By Fr. Robert Boxie            

This past summer, the Archdiocese of Washington made history.  Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, ordained sixteen new priests to serve this local Church; sixteen new laborers in the vineyard of the Lord, sixteen men who listened to God’s call to give their life in service to God and his Church and who are committed to following Christ in a radical way.  Everyone in attendance at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., felt privileged to witness such an historic moment and the presence of the Holy Spirit. It atmosphere was palpable—every pew, every side chapel, even the aisles overflowed with the lay faithful from all around the archdiocese and beyond, religious men and women, seminarians, deacons, and the family and friends of the ordained.  Additionally, over 210 priests concelebrated the Mass with Cardinal Gregory, along with our retired archbishop and our auxiliary bishops.  The gift of so many new priests brings real joy to the Church, and a real springtime of what is possible when we respond to God’s call in our lives.