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I hope this article gets attention. It proposes an answer to the “why” of what we have been seeing for a couple generations.

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 3w ago

The leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church see a vision for growth in certain sectors of society, focusing attention and resources there in an attempt to keep the ship afloat. Fabian Adderley asks: Where does that leave Black Catholics? www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/who-still-ne...

"What we once thought was to be defined primarily through marriage and biology is now defined by models that center partnership and shared caregiving." #family

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 2w ago

As the meaning of family shifts rapidly, the traditional model is increasingly controversial or, to many, markedly obsolete. Efran Menny writes that while cultural differences must be respected, Catholics can present a meaningful vision that stands the test of time. buff.ly/uCwxUyk

St. Cecilia's in Detroit, one of the nation's best-known Black sports sites, has netted a $5M donation for renovation from LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. The long-dormant site was known as a breeding ground and meeting point for top basketball talent in the late 20th century. buff.ly/JPvCOOk

Dr. M. Roger Holland II has been named a Pastoral Musician of the Year by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, becoming the fourth African American to receive the honor. The Denver professor's Mass settings and hymns are used in Black Catholic parishes across the U.S. buff.ly/0OxUVHL

Catholics need to stop pretending that white Christian nationalism isn't a problem in our churches, too. www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/ignatius-den...

Why a Denver priest was wrong to treat Black Catholic hymnals like garbage

Dr. M. Roger Holland II on the racist errors that caused a significantly Black parish in Colorado to lose a hallmark of African-American liturgy.

blackcatholicmessenger.org

“To deny Black culture in Catholic spaces disparages and dismisses the imago dei and diminishes the catholicity of us all. A Catholic church that is Eurocentric is not only monocultural but inauthentic. Catholicism, rightly considered, is multicultural, universal, and therefore truly catholic.”

Why a Denver priest was wrong to treat Black Catholic hymnals like garbage

Dr. M. Roger Holland II on the racist errors that caused a significantly Black parish in Colorado to lose a hallmark of African-American liturgy.

blackcatholicmessenger.org

"One wonders what is in store for them? When the time comes will they be ready? For the fate that befalls them." (From "FATE": a poem by Dorothy Dempsey.) www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/poem-fate/

In a landmark new interview, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged enslaved persons and slaveholding among his ancestors, which genealogists discovered shortly after his election in the 2025 conclave. In comments to NBC News, the pontiff also teased a forthcoming visit to the United States. buff.ly/vflRxDe

The interview comes just months after the pope used his maiden encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas", to apologize for the Vatican's role in the slave trade, and one year since he first publicly acknowledged his African-American ancestry.

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 6d ago

In a landmark new interview, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged enslaved persons and slaveholding among his ancestors, which genealogists discovered shortly after his election in the 2025 conclave. In comments to NBC News, the pontiff also teased a forthcoming visit to the United States. buff.ly/vflRxDe

I've lived in Texas for approximately one day and I've already beheld the biggest American or state flags I've ever seen in my life...

The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary hosted their 110th national convention this month in Houston, uniting ~1,000 members for fellowship, fundraising, and the business of the order. The six-day gathering featured the centennial celebration for the women's division. buff.ly/gOU8W2n

The historic meeting, held just an hour from the founding locale of the Ladies Auxiliary, saw a host of Catholic prelates participate in liturgies and other celebrations, including one of the Knights' newest members: the Black Catholic auxiliary bishop Robert Boxie of Washington.

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 7d ago

The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary hosted their 110th national convention this month in Houston, uniting ~1,000 members for fellowship, fundraising, and the business of the order. The six-day gathering featured the centennial celebration for the women's division. buff.ly/gOU8W2n

The pursuit of a superintelligence through AI has thus far featured gross exploitation and disregard for the basic principles of human dignity. Briana Jansky writes that we must change course as a society before it's too late. www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/building-bab...

A new book covers the life of Sr Sandra Smithson, a pioneering Black Catholic who resisted religious racism and helped revolutionize education for the underserved in Nashville and beyond. Author Theresa Laurence spoke with BCM on why this biography is needed now more than ever. buff.ly/A1r52Xq

The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus held its convocation this week, bringing nearly 50 members to Houston for fellowship, encouragement, and celebration. Among the highlights was celebration of and with their own new prelate, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie of Washington. buff.ly/rF7mrEJ

“Evangelization today cannot simply mean inviting people back to what once was,” said the NBCCC president, Fr Kareem Smith, emphasizing the need for embodied work. “The Church has enough documents. What she needs are disciples who are willing to act.”

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 2w ago

The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus held its convocation this week, bringing nearly 50 members to Houston for fellowship, encouragement, and celebration. Among the highlights was celebration of and with their own new prelate, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie of Washington. buff.ly/rF7mrEJ

Throwback from the Jubilee Mass here in Houston for the 2026 convocation of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, celebrated on Thursday by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie III of Washington. Recording: www.youtube.com/live/VDiS1iL...

The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary are kicking off their 2026 national convention here in Houston with a 4th Degree Conclave Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie III of Washington. Several other Black Catholic bishops also present.

Cam Obi, a music producer known for working with Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA, has been teasing his debut album for years, with excitement reaching a fever pitch. What most fans don't know, however, is that he is also now Catholic and excited to share his faith. buff.ly/jg9F2lW

An autopsy of Nolan Wells, the Mississippi Black Catholic teen who died under mysterious circumstances on July 4, has found his cause of death to be "undetermined". The independent examination ordered by the family noted missing body parts and the need for further investigation. buff.ly/qYwUBOA

As the meaning of family shifts rapidly, the traditional model is increasingly controversial or, to many, markedly obsolete. Efran Menny writes that while cultural differences must be respected, Catholics can present a meaningful vision that stands the test of time. buff.ly/uCwxUyk

"What is evident in plenty of stories is that people in nontraditional models are not rejecting family, but are instead searching for meaningful support and stability amid day-to-day struggles."

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 2w ago

As the meaning of family shifts rapidly, the traditional model is increasingly controversial or, to many, markedly obsolete. Efran Menny writes that while cultural differences must be respected, Catholics can present a meaningful vision that stands the test of time. buff.ly/uCwxUyk

For Black Americans, one's hair can be a conundrum, a calling card, or even a creative way of displaying cultural pride. Tulio Huggins, who came of age in mostly non-Black environments, writes that wearing a durag unlocked a crucial spiritual node amid personal testing. buff.ly/8FLnxaA

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical—titled "Magnificent Humanity" in English—centers themes of disarming words, peace through justice, shifting perspectives, healthy realism, and dialogue. Daryl Grigsby's reading of the new text inspired reflection on the Black Catholic experience. buff.ly/ct8DkL5

"It is far more than a discussion of the promise and perils of [AI]. In the text, the pope summarizes the richness of Catholic social teaching documents, and highlights the themes of human dignity, the common good, the universal destination of goods, solidarity, and subsidiarity."

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 2w ago

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical—titled "Magnificent Humanity" in English—centers themes of disarming words, peace through justice, shifting perspectives, healthy realism, and dialogue. Daryl Grigsby's reading of the new text inspired reflection on the Black Catholic experience. buff.ly/ct8DkL5

Encouraging openness to the spirit and to the foundational transcendentals, Rana Irby offers a new poem, "Hands and Spirit", resolving to virtue in its short span of wordful meditation. www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/hands-and-sp...

The leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church see a vision for growth in certain sectors of society, focusing attention and resources there in an attempt to keep the ship afloat. Fabian Adderley asks: Where does that leave Black Catholics? www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/who-still-ne...

"What if some Black Catholic communities are being abandoned not with malice, but through drift? Not because leaders do not care, but because the Church’s imagination is being captured by numbers, narratives of growth, and institutional survival."

Black Catholic Messenger@blackcatholicmessenger.org · 3w ago

The leaders of the U.S. Catholic Church see a vision for growth in certain sectors of society, focusing attention and resources there in an attempt to keep the ship afloat. Fabian Adderley asks: Where does that leave Black Catholics? www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/who-still-ne...

Pope Leo XIV's recent comments on liberty inspire reflection on how America can live up to its original ideals in light of its complicated, anti-Black founding. Tamika Royes writes that this journey begins with acknowledging African-American resistance across North America. buff.ly/jDQllF9