By Marlene Quaroni - Florida Catholic

LAUDERDALE LAKES | The Catholic Church is for everyone, not just for one group, race or ethnicity, Archbishop Thomas Wenski told those gathered for the annual Mass for Unity against racism, held Aug. 21, 2002, at St. Helen Church and sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Black Catholics.

“We are Catholics, the Greek word for universal,” he said. “The Catholic Church is diverse and so are Black Catholics. Many immigrated from Africa or the Caribbean. In diversity we seek unity. In unity there is strength. What unites us all is one faith, one baptism, one Lord. We have a lot of hard work to do to make our Church more Catholic. Ninety-four percent of African Americans are non-Catholic. We need to reach out to them and invite them to know Jesus with the intimacy with which we know him, in the holy Eucharist.”

Katrenia Reeves-Jackman, director of the Office of Black Catholics, told the congregation after Mass that Black Catholics need to feel welcome in the Church.

“God calls all people to live as brothers and sisters,” she said. “We are all God’s children. Give us your grace, Lord, to overcome the evil of racism. This Mass is celebrated to spread the good news that we must be unified.”

Vatican II opened the door for inculturation, allowing Black Catholics to develop their own structure, identification, style of music and liturgy, thought, and appearance within the larger Catholic Church. A boom in the number of Black Catholics in the U.S. came during the 1960s, as their numbers increased by 220,000. More than half were converts.

In 1968, during the civil rights movement, Black Catholics created a powerful new organization, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and National Black Sisters Conference. They wanted a Black vicarate, an episcopal vicar, Black-led offices for Black Catholics, a Black diaconate, Black liturgical inculturation, inclusion of Black history and culture in seminary education and diocesan programs to train those who would shepherd Black Catholics.

In 1987, the Black Catholic hymnal, “Lead Me, Guide Me” was published featuring Black Gospel hymns and traditional Catholic hymns. Another innovation at liturgical celebrations includes Black priests wearing Afro-centric vestments and similarly decorated altars.

Despite the boom in Black Catholicism in the last century, the archbishop said that more than half of African Americans raised as Catholics are no longer practicing their faith.

“We need to encourage them to come back home,” he said. “We can dream of a revival of Catholicism in our African American communities. We have the good news, let’s share it. Dreams take time, effort and patience.”

John Hinton, a member of the archdiocese’s Black Catholic ministry, said the archbishop’s speech was on point.

“He’s very aware,” said Hinton. “His homily was excellent.”

Each year, the Unity Mass takes place at a different archdiocesan church. Last year, the Mass was celebrated at St. James Church in North Miami.