The gifts are carried up at the offertory during the Nov. 4, 2023 Black Catholic History Month Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
Black Catholic Ministry: Heritage of faith
BY F. VERONICA WILHITE, OFFICE OF BLACK CATHOLIC MINISTRY
The Office of Black Catholic Ministry in the Diocese of Owensboro is dedicated to serving the needs of Black Catholics throughout western Kentucky. This includes information on opportunities to participate in national, regional, and local Black Catholic events and training.
The office maintains a mailing list of current and former Black Catholics in the diocese, as well as anyone who express an interest in Black Catholic activities. We request updates annually from parishes, and each December the Josephite African American History Heritage Calendar is mailed out.
Our affiliates are the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC); the National African American Catholic Youth & Young Adult Ministry Network (NAACYYMN); the Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio (TIKO) regional conference; and the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators (NABCA) for which I served as Secretary last term. Locally, we host a diocesan day of reflection with Bishop Medley.
On Nov. 4, 2023, more than 100 people from Bowling Green, Mayfield, Owensboro, Paducah, and Berea, as well as the Ursuline Sisters, School Sisters of Notre Dame and Sisters of the Lamb of God attended the first celebration of Black Catholic History Month in our diocese at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro.
Women sing during the Nov. 4, 2023 Black Catholic History Month Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
The pastors of Blessed Sacrament Chapel (Owensboro) and Rosary Chapel (Paducah) concelebrated Mass with Bishop Medley. Music selections from “The Sound of My People” Mass by Roger Holland, the classic hymn “God is Love” by Fr. Clarence Rivers, and a welcome song by the Congolese choir from Holy Spirit Parish (Bowling Green) made this especially festive. A history of Black Catholics was handed out to participants, and portraits of the six Black Americans on the road to sainthood were displayed before the altar (let us continue to pray for their canonization causes). Hopefully, this will be an annual celebration.
This past year, six delegates from our diocese representing Blessed Mother (Owensboro), Blessed Sacrament, Immaculate (Owensboro), and St. Charles (Bardwell) parishes attended the 13th National Black Catholic Congress, which convenes every five years.
For those interested in prayer resources, Black Madonna rosaries and prayer cards are available. Further education resources and opportunities will be on the diocesan website and/or shared in the WKC.
F. Veronica Wilhite is the director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry for the Diocese of Owensboro.
A woman proclaims the first reading during the Nov. 4, 2023 Black Catholic History Month Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
People attend the Nov. 4, 2023 Black Catholic History Month Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
A woman sings along to the closing hymn during the Nov. 4, 2023 Black Catholic History Month Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
Originally printed in the June 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
