BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH

 Mother Hildegard has been away for a month, but will be back very soon to offer you new blogs. This is one she wrote in early November and well worth the wait!

When  one of the nuns- from Connecticut- put out the Archdiocesan magazine, I noted that November is Black Catholic History Month.

In this month we celebrate two beloved  Black saints. St Martin de Porres' Feast  was this week (November 3) and the great St Augustine's will be  November 13.

Some people forget that Christianity did not originate in Europe and even express surprise when they learn that Black Catholic History began in the Acts of the Apostles (8: 26-40) with the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch by Philip the Deacon. This text  chronicles the conversion of the first Black African in recorded Christian history. And also suggests that the man was a wealthy, literate, and powerful emissary of the Nubian Queen and also a faithful, practicing Jew prior to his baptism. Clearly, he was not an ignorant heathen. The Ethiopian Eunuch's conversion predates the conversions of Saints Paul and Cornelius. Most significantly, many cite this conversion as the very moment when the church changed from a Hebrew and Hellenist community to the truly universal and Catholic Church.

Black Catholics trace their faith history back to Christian antiquity long before other nations heard the "Good News." Christian Africa was indeed a "leading light" in early Christendom. Black Catholics point to three popes who were born in Africa: Sts Victor I, Melchiades, and Gelasius I. All three shepherded the early church through tough and tumultuous times in history. Black Catholics claim many Black Saints like Sts Cyprian, Zeno, Anthony of Egypt, Moses the Black, Pachomius, Maurice, Athanasius, Pisentius, Mary of Egypt, Cyril of Alexandria, Monica of Hippo ( the mother of Augustine), the martyrs Perpetua, Felicitas, and Thecla. Without them  the church would not be what it is today.

Interestingly enough, I had just finished Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming,  and now at noon we are reading the life of Servant of God Thea Bowman (see Blogs  11/12/18  & 10/4/16) . All without realizing what this month signifies.

On thing that stood out for me was Michelle often saying how Blacks (especially women)  had to strive to be better so they could fit in, be accepted.  Thea says the same thing in her writings (her father was a doctor and her mother an educator).  When I commented on this, Mother Prioress said that our Black nun at  the Abbey had the same experience (and she is a lawyer).  So no matter how far we think we have progressed in civil rights, it isn’t far enough, by half!

At present we have six Blacks being considered for canonization in the USA.  We should all take courage in them.