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.
She is known as “Denver’s Angel of Charity” and she might just become the first African American saint in the Catholic Church.
As a child, Sheila Stiles Jewell played outside of the public housing where her family lived in Memphis. She felt one with nature weaving clover and catching bumblebees, not realizing that she was really feeding her curiosity for science and the natural world.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month, stating that the celebration helped to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman said in 2011: “You’re going to relegate my history to a month? … I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history.”
Emmanuel Charles, who lives in Rosedale and is a parishioner at St. Clare’s Church, said the media makes the mistake of painting African-Americans with a broad brush with no accounting for the diversity that exists within the Black community.
Hidden among the streets and sidewalks of Brooklyn is a rich abolitionist history. From homes of prominent leaders in the movement to churches that were stops along the historic Underground Railroad, the borough was a hub of abolitionist activities, leading up to the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed millions of enslaved African-Americans.
We will never meet Blessed Isidore Bakanja on this side of heaven. But if you’re looking for a holy friend who might know a thing or two about forgiveness, look no further than Bakanja to intercede on your behalf.
As a first-generation Haitian/Mauritian-American, Laguerre knew choosing a career that wasn’t going to lead him to medicine or business might raise some eyebrows in his family. And even though he had expressed interest in robotics and engineering, his natural proficiency in mathematics and connecting parts together pointed to his true vocation: leading others to Christ through sound and songs as a church music director.
At the Black History Month Mass Feb.16, faithful from both the Brooklyn and Rockville Centre dioceses celebrated Mass with thanksgiving and praise at Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston.
The St. Francis College men’s basketball team honored the great Al Inniss by retiring his No. 19 jersey during halftime of a game earlier this season.
