In the world today there are 200 million people of African descent in the
Roman Catholic Church throughout the world.
The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC) of the United States voted
on Tuesday, July 24, 1990 while meeting in convention at Fordham University in
New York, to establish November as BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH.
The reason behind the selection of the month of November was the number of
important dates to Catholics of African descent that fell within this month.
| Nov. 1 |
All Saints Day = an opportunity to review the lives of the hundreds of
Saints of African descent in the first 300 years of the Church. |
| Nov. 2 |
All Souls Day = a time to remember all those African lost to cruel
treatment in the Middle Passage crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Nov. 3 |
Feast of St. Martin de Porres, the only saint of African descent in this
hemisphere. |
| Nov. 13 |
The birth of St. Augustine in 354 A.D., the first Doctor of the Church
from North Africa. |
| Nov. 20 |
The death of Zumbi of Palmares in Brazil, South American founder of a
free state for Blacks. |
The first celebration of Black Catholic History Month 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 the President of the NBCCC, Bro. Roy Smith, OSC. The Mass
was held at St. Anthony Church.
To assist the Black Catholic community in celebrating this month, NBCCC has
coordinated a resource reader with a special emphasis on the 500th anniversary
of evangelization in the Americas, entitled Turning the World Right-Side
Up. The reader also features a section on Black Catholic history from
the beginning of the Church 'till today; as well as a prayer service to Dr.
Martin Luther King. This resource reader is the first Pan-African Roman Catholic
publication. It sells for $17.00, (see attachment).
Other resources available are videos through the Black Catholic
Televangelization Network, (see attachment). The Network also has produced two
new Pan-African productions: The Basilica for Africa and Rejoice!
Futuring Black Catholic Worship. The Basilica for Africa is a
documentary dealing with the newly constructed building which is the tallest
Church in the world. It is located on the coast of West Africa in the country of
the Ivory Coast. The second documentary is Rejoice!, the international
documentary on Black worship throughout the world.
At the dawn of the Third Millennium, the year 2,000 A.D., there will be 200
Million Catholics of African descent throughout the world.
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