Did you know that November is Black Catholic History Month? This month, we’re honoring the men and women from Africa who have pioneered the Catholic faith! Black Catholics have had a huge impact on the history and traditions of Christianity.

Spiritans have had a role in the evangelization of Africans and African-Americans since its founding. The first celebration of Black Catholic History Month in the United States began in November of 1990 in various cities in the United States with the celebration of St. Martin de Porres Feast day. The liturgy celebrated the 350th anniversary of St. Martin’s transition from this life to eternal life.

In Detroit on this day in 1990, Archbishop Adam Maida, the local Archbishop, was the celebrant for the Mass. Also present was  Bro. Roy Smith, OSC, President of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States who designated November as Black Catholic History Month to celebrate the long history and proud heritage of Black Catholics. 

In the world today there are 200 million people of African descent in the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world. More importantly, November not only marks a time when we pray for all saints and souls in loving remembrance but also a time to recall the saints and souls of Africa and the African Diaspora.

Sources tell us that 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. 

Three popes—Saints Victor I, Melchiades, and Gelasius I—were born in Africa and led the early church through much turmoil. There are also many Black Catholic saints (Monica of Hippo, Augustine of Hippo, Perpetua, and Felicitas to name a few).

From the time of the first provincial of the USA, Fr. Joseph Strub, who was a graduate of Africa’s oldest senior seminary in Senegal to the present, ministry among African Americans have been at the heart of the Spiritan ministry priorities.

Henry Koren reminds us that “As early as 1870 the Spiritans had accepted to open a mission to African-Americans in South Carolina, but the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War had thwarted that plan.”

The missions among African-Americans in the Little Rock Diocese gradually extended to Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky and Louisiana where we staffed more than 30 parishes.

Our missions among African-Americans expanded to St. Peter Claver Church (Mother Church of Black Catholics in Charleston, SC), St. Mark Church (Mother Church of Black Catholics in Harlem, NY), St. Peter Claver Church (Mother Church of Clack Catholics in Philadelphia, PA), St. John the Baptist Church (Mother Church of Black Catholics in Dayton, OH), St. Peter Claver Church (First Black Church in Michigan) and Our Lady Queen of Peace (1st parish for African-Americans in Arlington, VA). All of these places were established with the dedication of Black Catholics in these areas. These are only a few highlighted places. Our ministries continued to grow in Chicago, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, and Pittsburgh.

There are six Black Catholics who are on the path to sainthood at the present time. 
 
Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1776-1853)
Venerable Pierre Toussaint was born a slave in Haiti. Philanthropist & Founder of many Catholic charitable works. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He is the first layperson to be buried there.

Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange  (1784-1882)
Mother Mary Lange was the foundress and first Superior General of the Oblate Sisters of Providence (1829-1832), the first congregation of African American women religious in the history of the Catholic Church. She is believed to be Cuban born of Haitian descent.

Venerable Henriette Delille (1813-1862)
Venerable Henriette Delille was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she lived all of her life. In 1842, she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family. This was the second congregation of African-American women religious in the USA.
 
Fr. Augustus Tolton (1854-1897)
Fr. Augustus Tolton was the first Roman Catholic priest in the United States publicly known to be black when he was ordained in 1886. A former slave who was baptized and reared Catholic, Tolton studied formally in Rome. He was ordained at St. John Lateran (Rome).

Julia Greeley (1833 and 1848-1918)
Julia Greeley was born into slavery, at Hannibal, Missouri, sometime between 1833 and 1848. Freed by Missouri's Emancipation Act in 1865, she joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was active in it till her death in 1918. She is buried in  Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA (1937-1990)
Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA was born in 1937 and reared in Canton, Mississippi. As a child she converted to Catholicism. She was Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. During her short lifetime (52 years), she was dedicated to preparing priests and seminarians working in the African-American parishes and institutions in the USA.