By Deacon David C. Okonkwo
Twenty first-century theologian Howard Thurman in his book Jesus and the Disinherited, quoted Heinrich Weinel and Alban Widgery, “to some God and Jesus may appeal in a way other than to us: some may come to faith in God and to love, without a conscious attachment to Jesus. Both nature and good men besides Jesus may lead us to God. They who seek God with all their hearts must, however, some day on their way, meet Jesus.”
So it has been with people of African descent; that in November when we celebrate Black Catholic History Month, African descent Catholics are joined by their sisters and brothers of other faiths in the celebration of African descent saints, ancestors, those souls lost in the middle passage, those hanged that never got proper burial, those who were lost that were never found, and those who did not get the opportunity to convert to Christianity but lived a good life.
Black Catholic History Month has been voted, adopted and accepted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) from their black brother bishops since the early 1990’s. This celebration had already started taking place but widely became a part of the whole church celebrations after being made official by document of the USCCB.
We did not start celebrating it here in our diocese until November of 2011, the year the first director to the Office of Catholics of African Descent Ministry was hired. Before that, people from different communities on their own drove to different Arch/Dioceses to celebrate, including our neighboring Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Celebrations include not just Mass but Revivals, Gospel-fests and concludes with a special liturgy. Special because musicians and homilists are invited and sometimes, the main celebrant bishop is invited in, too.
Up until the COVID-19 pandemic, we celebrated every year in a grand way. But since then, communities celebrate one year in their parish, using the occasion to fulfill the call of Saint Pope John Paul II, to share our “black spirituality” with the Church. It becomes moments of unity, teaching and sharing cultures within the parish. And the next year, we organize at the diocesan office level, bringing all African descent communities together in one Mass. Last year, was our diocesan planned celebration at the Holy Name of Jesus parish in Redlands, and the reception was held at its Columbia site with Bishop Emeritus Gerald Barnes as the Chief Celebrant and Father Anthony Bozeman, a Josephite from Washington DC, as the homilist.
This year’s celebration is one for the communities to plan and execute in their parishes. To educate, evangelize and share their “black spirituality” with their parish communities by sharing themselves. The community of St. Christopher parish in Moreno Valley will celebrate a Mass in honor of Black Catholic History Month on Nov. 16 at 10 am. The Igbo community celebrated a Mass on Nov. 2 and on the last Sunday of the month, Nov. 30, the Holy Name of Jesus, Columbia site, in Redlands will be celebrating with a Mass and reception like other communities did.
Deacon David C. Okonkwo is the Director of the Diocesan Catholics of African Descent Ministry.