The topic of racism can be a source of conflict. But when Sister Melinda Pellerin found herself in a conversation with a woman who denied the existence of systemic racism in the U.S., she let her faith lead her response.
Black Catholics
Catholic Church, Society Must Do More to Overcome Racism, Says Bishop
Imagining what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., might say if he were alive today, retired Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, Illinois, delivered a homily in the voice of the slain civil rights leader to address how racism continues to impact the church and society as a whole.
Divine Nine Sororities, Fraternities Instill Pride in Black College Students
When Michaela Ivory was a freshman at Butler University, she wasn’t particularly interested in pledging to a sorority. But after meeting members of the Sigma Gamma Rho community and seeing the care and concern they had for others, she changed her mind and joined the sorority, which is one of the legendary Divine Nine.
Black Catholic History Month: Knights of St. Peter Claver’s Drive For New Members in High Gear
The nation’s largest black Catholic fraternal organization is looking for new members, and the recruitment drive is already bearing fruit here in the Diocese of Brooklyn. The Knights of St. Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary Inc., a service group founded in 1909 in Mobile, Alabama, reports about 17,000 members in the U.S.
Prayer, Love Defeats Hate and Racism
Almost one year ago, as I was watching the news on television with my parochial vicar, havoc was arising in the city of Minneapolis. Reports were coming in that an unarmed Black man had been killed by a Minneapolis police officer. I watched as protests and riots began to take place.
Msgr. Quinn: A Champion of Equality
Msgr. Quinn (1888-1940), who was an Irish-American, was known for his fight against racial injustice. He established the first parish for Black Catholics in the diocese, St. Peter Claver Church, Bedford-Stuyvesant, in 1922.
Msgr. Quinn Fought Against Racism By Rebuilding and Renewing Faith
The man who convinced the Diocese of Brooklyn to establish St. Peter Claver Church, the first African-American church in the diocese, was also a man who waged a long battle for civil rights for his parishioners and the larger black community.
Diocese Promotes Canonization for Msgr. Bernard Quinn
Msgr. Bernard Quinn is a perfect candidate for canonization. That’s what one repeatedly hears when talking to clergy and laypersons in the Diocese of Brooklyn advocating for sainthood for the late, great church pastor.
Black Religious Orders Broke Racial Barriers in the U.S.
When it comes to the earliest orders of Black Catholic religious sisters in the United States, Shannen Dee Williams wants people to recognize the perseverance, struggle, and commitment to God they put forth to make religious life possible for Black women and girls in the United States — something she considers overlooked.
Inspired by Her Faith, Amanda Gorman Urges People to ‘Be the Light’
“For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it” — these final words from Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman encapsulate hope. More than that, these words encapsulate faith in humanity.