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Nonprofit media in the tradition of Daniel Rudd's 'American Catholic Tribune' (1885-1897). Amplifying Black Catholic voices. Editor: Nate Tinner-Williams #ThatsTheMessage blackcatholicmessenger.org
"[Malik] finds the holy card of St. Moses, which calms his mind. He starts seeing visions of the martyr and visits a local Eastern Orthodox church to learn more about the life of St. Moses and how to transform his life."
The new film "Moses the Black" connects the experience of Black gang life to the ancient Egyptian Christian saint who turned from robbery to the monastery.
Samantha Smith reviews director Yelena Popovic's latest, calling it an exposition of repentance. www.blackcatholicmes...
St. Katharine Drexel's efforts to establish Black Catholic institutions in Nashville came at the plea of the local bishop at the turn of the 19th century.
As Jim O'Hara writes, however, this was preceded by the advocacy of a Black layman, Eugene W. Bunn. www.blackcatholicmes...
Black theology has charted a path toward understanding and liberation for some 60 years, challenging Eurocentric norms and calling the Church to justice.
Tamika Royes writes that it should be paid special attention to by Western Catholics. www.blackcatholicmes...
The Arlington Diocese is seeking descendants of those enslaved by a prominent Catholic family that helped found Maryland and Virginia during the colonial era.
The Brent family cemetery was excavated last year, leading to the discovery of unmarked graves. www.blackcatholicmes...
“America’s 250th... is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable legacy of our nation’s historically Black churches.” said Brent Leggs. "By investing in their preservation today, we are safeguarding not just historic buildings and architecture, but a living legacy of resilience."
A Black Catholic parish in San Juan, Puerto Rico, historic Iglesia San Mateo de Cangrejos in Santurce, has been awarded a $500k grant to address damage sustained during Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The 194-year-old church was founded by the formerly enslaved. www.blackcatholicmes...
Soskin was at one point co-owner of historic Reid's Records in Berkeley before becoming a noted Civil Rights Movement songwriter. She also spearheaded the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond—where she began service as a park ranger in her 80s.
Betty Reid Soskin, the famed centenarian park ranger who recently died at 104, was laid to rest this month with a public memorial in Oakland, California.
The Catholic-raised entrepreneur, musician and activist was remembered as a guiding light of justice. www.blackcatholicmes...
A newly expanded musical on Servant of God Thea Bowman will premiere this week in St. Louis, chronicling the life and work of the famed Black Catholic nun.
ValLimar Jansen wrote and stars in "I Will Live Until I Die", which features a full cast and choir. www.blackcatholicmes...
Amid increasing attempts at digital evangelization, practically anyone can pontificate and many will take as dogma that which is—at best—an informed opinion.
Tulio Huggins writes that the better way forward is to focus on real-world Christian fellowship. www.blackcatholicmes...
This #BlackHistoryMonth, we highlight the Black Catholic Messenger. Under Nate Tinner-Williams, it combines historical research and modern journalism to ensure these voices are represented. 🙏🏾https://nationalpress.org/topic/how-the-black-catholic-messenger-tells-the-full-story/
Discerning a vocation can be a unique experience for Black Catholics, often involving concerns unfamiliar to the average seminarian or consecrated religious.
Fabian Adderley says the call can still proceed through (rather than despite) dismay. www.blackcatholicmes...
The U.S. and Israel have bombed Iran, killing hundreds and openly seeking regime change with the backing of numerous Arab powers—which face retaliatory strikes from the Islamic Republic.
Black Catholics in Congress have called the initial attack illegal. www.blackcatholicmes...
"[The block] had caused the abbey’s early monks—who were unfamiliar to the predominantly White Baptist community in Belmont—to be perceived as slave worshippers. The stone also caused strain within the monastic community, leading to its burial in the woods near the monastery."
A baptismal font at Belmont Abbey in North Carolina has generated controversy for its history as a former slave auction block, though some praise its repurposing.
Matt Memrick explores the stone's story and its reception at a nearby Benedictine college. www.blackcatholicmes...
Maryland AG Anthony Brown is suing ICE and the DHS over a planned $102M immigrant detention center, one of many stirring controversy nationwide.
The Black Catholic top cop is the first to take the White House to court over the new warehouse conversions. www.blackcatholicmes...
"True discernment requires that we know who God truly is, rather than confining him to the image we are most comfortable with. At the end of the day, we will never become who we are called to be if we confuse endless deliberation with wisdom."
In the path of discernment, the Christian must always be conscious of the temptation to become entirely inert, resisting both the call to action and the call of God.
Joseph Peach writes that modern cultural influences may contribute to a failure to move. www.blackcatholicmes...
Norman Francis, who led Xavier University of Louisiana—the nation's Catholic HBCU—for nearly 50 years as its first lay president, has died at 94.
His storied and multifaceted legacy includes successful efforts to grow XULA into an educational powerhouse. www.blackcatholicmes...
Cherfilus-McCormick faces fraud allegations at the federal, state, and congressional level while running for her fourth term, while the Democratic primary field has grown to include several recognizable names in South Florida—including a beloved Miami-born musician and activist.
Former 2 Live Crew rapper Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell is running for Congress to unseat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who faces federal charges while seeking reelection.
The 65-year-old musician is one of two Black Catholics in the Democratic primary. www.blackcatholicmes...
The inaugural Tolton Symposium is set for March, celebrating the legacy of the nation's first openly Black Catholic priest.
The conference will take place 16 years since canonization efforts first began for Venerable Augustus Tolton, nearly to the day. www.blackcatholicmes...
Black Catholics Sharon Lavigne and Gail LeBoeuf respectively help lead @risestjames.bsky.social and Inclusive Louisiana, two of the parties in a lawsuit against the civil parish of St. James—which has repeatedly granted land use permits for polluting industries in local Black neighborhoods.
A Black Catholic-led federal lawsuit can proceed against local officials enabling pollution in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley", a judge has ruled.
The civil rights case argues that carcinogenic operations are being steered into African-American communities. www.blackcatholicmes...
The Brooklyn Diocese seeks mediation to universally resolve more than 1,100 child sex abuse cases, following a wave of filings under the New York Child Victims Act.
A lawsuit against the late Black Catholic bishop Guy Sansaricq is among the pending cases. www.blackcatholicmes...
Leading the statement is Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who has recently faced criticism for refusing to support the abolishment of ICE. Rep. Espaillat, however—an Afro-Dominican who chairs the Congressional @hispaniccaucus.bsky.social—has openly called for the agency to be "dismantled".
Catholic Democrats in Congress have condemned the White House's immigration enforcement and are calling for consideration of the Church's social teaching to guide reform.
Black Catholic Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Gabe Amo signed onto a new statement. www.blackcatholicmes...
Archbishop James Checchio started his tenure in New Orleans by visiting the tomb of Venerable Henriette DeLille, foundress of the Holy Family Sisters.
The Black Creole mother general is among the seven African-American Catholics on track for sainthood. www.blackcatholicmes...
Wynton Marsalis, the founding director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, will step down in 2027 after 40 years helping to popularize jazz as a standard American art form.
The Catholic-raised virtuoso won a Pulitzer—the first for jazz—with the JALC band in 1997. www.blackcatholicmes...