EAST FLATBUSH — Bishop Robert Brennan described the Black History Month Mass at St. Thérèse Lisieux Church as an “uplifting” opportunity to be together, noting the Church symbolizes family, and, therefore, Catholics must stand together in solidarity when a member is discriminated against.
“When we talk about racism and prejudice in our community, that’s an offense against God because it’s a rejection of the image and likeness of God in another person,” Bishop Brennan said after Mass. “When members of our family are hurting, the whole family’s hurting.”
The Mass, held on Feb. 16, began with a procession of parishioners proudly waving their cultural flags, followed by priests from around the diocese. Bishop Brennan introduced Archbishop Kenneth Richards of Kingston, Jamaica, as the main celebrant.
Archbishop Richards’ homily garnered vocal agreement from parishioners throughout. He said the Mass was meant to honor black heritage and reflect on their achievements, not just a time to remember slavery and other ill parts of history. It is also a time to affirm that they are all a part of “one family,” he said.
“As Pope Francis says, in ‘Fratelli tutti,’ we are all brothers and sisters, and therefore, we must not allow racism to prevent us from recognizing that we need to support each other,” Archbishop Richards said after the homily. “And sometimes it is a disaster that causes us to reach out and hold each other’s hand, but we don’t need to rely on such tragedies to happen for us to recognize that.”
Roberta St. Bernard, a parishioner of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church, said Masses like these are important to allow people to express their faith.
“It was just a great celebration of different cultures coming together and celebrating as one body,” St. Bernard said. “The [Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns] is always bringing together people from disparate places into one Mass and celebrate everyone that’s there as one, and it’s just always very uplifting.”
Photos: Gregory A. Shemitz
The annual Mass was organized by the vicariate and Father Alonzo Cox, the coordinator for the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns and pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant. He called the day an opportunity for black parishioners to “come together“ and praised the flag procession.
“We did that for the first time last year and what a beautiful scene, for us to begin Mass with bringing in those flags from different countries, absolutely beautiful,” he said.
The Mass, which included music from the Sister Thea Bowman Gospel Choir, ended with a potluck in the school’s auditorium.
Father Liju Augustine, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church, was happy to host the Mass and called it the “perfect reason” for parishioners to come together.
“I am so blessed that my people are so energized for these kinds of things. It’s a great experience,” Father Augustine said. “There is no racism in the presence of God. It doesn’t matter how people look at me, whether you are black or white.
“We are the true children of God. That’s what I feel and like to celebrate.”
