Black Catholic Movement facts for kids

The Black Catholic Movement (also called the Black Catholic Revolution) was an important time for African-American Catholics in the United States. It helped shape what modern Black Catholicism is today.

From about 1968 to the mid-1990s, Black Catholicism changed a lot. It became a full part of the Black Church. It developed its own way of doing things, its own identity, music, and liturgy (church services). It also developed its own ideas and look within the larger Catholic Church. Because of this, today you can see Black Catholic traditions in most Black parishes, schools, and groups across the country.

How It Started

Vatican II Council

In 1962, Pope John XXIII called a big meeting for the Catholic Church called Vatican II. One major change from this meeting was that Latin was no longer the only language allowed for church services.

This change made it possible to include different cultures in Catholic practices. Even before Vatican II, in the 1950s, Black Catholics like Father Clarence Rivers had started to mix Black Gospel music with Catholic liturgy. Father Rivers' music was even used at the first official English Mass in the U.S. in 1964. His song, "God Is Love", was very important.

More Black Catholics

At the same time, more Black people became Catholic. Their numbers grew by 220,000 (35%) in the 1960s, and more than half of these were new converts. In 1966, Father Harold Robert Perry became the first known Black bishop to serve in the U.S. He was named an auxiliary bishop in New Orleans.

After the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. and the protests that followed, Black Catholics started new groups in early 1968. These included the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCC), started by Father Herman Porter. Its sister group, the National Black Sisters' Conference (NBSC), was started by Sister Martin de Porres Grey.

The larger movement then grew as Black Catholics embraced Black Power and Black Consciousness. They wanted to express their Catholic faith in a way that was truly "authentically Black."

History of the Movement

NBCC Statement (1968)

At their first meeting in Detroit, members of the NBCC made a strong statement. They said that "the Catholic Church in the United States is primarily a White, racist institution."

This statement caused a big stir in the Church. It helped explain the protests that made many White Americans uncomfortable. The statement also demanded changes in the Catholic Church. These changes included more Black leadership, freedom, and opportunities for Black people to become priests or nuns. Specifically, they asked for a Black vicariate (a special church area), a Black bishop, a Black-led office for Black Catholics, and Black deacons. They also wanted Black culture to be included in church services and Black history to be taught in seminaries. The caucus warned that without these changes, the Catholic Church would not be important to the Black community.

Some of these requests were answered quickly. The permanent diaconate (a role for married men in the church) was brought back in the U.S. in October 1968. Also, the National Office for Black Catholics (NOBC) was created in 1970.

Growing Stronger (1969-1971)

The movement was very active in Chicago, where many Black Catholics lived in the late 1960s. They formed large Black parishes, but these were always led by White priests. Father George Clements, a passionate member of the NBCC, had many disagreements with Archbishop John Cody about the lack of Black pastors in Chicago and the need for Black Catholic culture in the church.

Working with other Black leaders and activists, they created special church services called the Black Unity Mass. These events brought together many parishes. Black priests wore Afrocentric clothes and decorated the altar in a similar style. They celebrated Mass with a strong "Black" feel. One such Mass in 1969 included activist-priest Lawrence Lucas from New York, an 80-voice gospel choir, and security provided by the Black Panthers.

One of the first churches to include Black liturgical culture and start a gospel choir was St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in New Orleans in 1969. (It is now called St. Katharine Drexel Church). Grayson Warren Brown, a musician, set the entire Mass to gospel-style music. Father William Norvel helped bring gospel choirs to Black Catholic churches across the nation. This "Gospel Mass" trend quickly became popular.

Even with these new changes, some Black Catholics felt uneasy. As they embraced a stronger Black nationalism, it sometimes seemed to conflict with what they knew about Catholicism. Many dioceses, religious groups, and parishes also reacted negatively to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.

In 1970, the National Black Catholic Lay Caucus (NBCLC) was founded. It worked with the NBCC, NBSC, and NOBC to fight for Black people's rights. At their first meeting, they repeated the demands made by the NBCC two years earlier. They also asked for four Black bishops, more power for lay people and youth, and support for creating an "African-American liturgy."

In summer 1971, the NBCLC held a sit-in at the Josephites' headquarters, asking for similar changes.

Education, Offices, and Challenges (1971-1975)

In 1971, a group of Black Catholics, led by the NBCLC president, went to the Vatican. This happened after the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gave the NOBC only 30% of the money they asked for. They told Archbishop Giovanni Benelli that the American bishops were not being truthful about the state of Black Catholicism, which was losing members. They demanded that a Black man be appointed as the next Archbishop of Washington D.C., that an African-American rite (a special way of celebrating Mass) be created, and that an African-American cardinal be named.

That same year, the NBSC, NOBC, and Black Catholic laypeople started a national effort to stop Catholic schools from closing in city areas where many Black communities lived. Often, these neglected Black Catholic schools were taken over and run by the community. Just like 125 years before, Black nuns led a movement to educate Black children when it seemed the White American and Catholic leaders did not care.

During this time, Black Catholic ministries started appearing in dioceses across the country. This often happened in difficult situations and with some resistance from Black Catholics themselves.

There were also disagreements in seminaries (schools for priests). At the Josephites' seminary, tensions grew between Black students who were very aware of race issues and their White classmates, as well as with some teachers. Many students left the seminary, and some Josephite priests resigned. By 1971, the seminary had closed for studies.

Many priests and nuns left their roles in Black Catholicism in the 1970s. This was also a difficult time for American Catholicism in general. Many Catholics of all races started to stop practicing their faith. Between 1970 and 1975, hundreds of Black Catholic seminarians, dozens of Black Catholic priests (about 13%), and 125 Black nuns (about 14%) left. This included Sister Martin de Porres Grey, who founded the NBCS, in 1974. Up to 20% of Black Catholics stopped going to church.

New Groups and Thinkers (late 1970s)

Even with fewer people becoming priests or nuns, new national Black Catholic groups appeared by the end of the 1970s.

In the early to mid-70s, the various Black Catholic offices in different dioceses started to get official recognition. In 1976, their leaders formed a group called the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators. The NOBC later joined this group, and eventually, the NABCA took over the NOBC.

The Black Catholic Theological Symposium (BCTS), a yearly meeting for Black Catholic theology, started in 1978 in Baltimore. From this group came important thinkers in Black Catholic theology, Womanist theology, and Black theology. Father Lucas, mentioned earlier, was a founder of a key organization in the Black theology movement. Writers like Dr. Diana L. Hayes, Dr. M. Shawn Copeland, Sister Dr. Jamie T. Phelps, Father Cyprian Davis, and Servant of God Sister Dr. Thea Bowman have greatly influenced Black Catholic history, theology, and liturgy.

In 1979, the Institute for Black Catholic Studies was founded at Xavier University of Louisiana. Every summer, it offers courses on Black Catholic theology, ministry, and history. It is the only graduate theology program in the Western Hemisphere taught from a Black Catholic perspective.

That same year, the USCCB wrote a special letter called "Brothers and Sisters to Us" that talked about and condemned racism. This was the first time they addressed this issue as a group.

Black Bishops and George Stallings (1980s-1987)

Father George Stallings, a Black Catholic priest known for his strong activism, pushed for a Black Catholic rite (a special way of celebrating Mass with its own bishops) during the 1970s and 80s. He wanted Black Catholics to have more independence.

In 1974, Eugene A. Marino became an auxiliary bishop in Washington. Joseph L. Howze became the first recognized Black Catholic bishop of a diocese in 1977, in Biloxi. Marino later became the first Black Catholic archbishop in 1988. He resigned from his archbishop position two years later.

Between 1966 and 1988, the Pope named 13 Black bishops. In 1984, they wrote their own letter called "What We Have Seen and Heard", explaining the strength of Black Catholicism. The next year, the United States Catholic Conference, with help from Servant of God Sister Dr. Thea Bowman, released a document called "Families: Black and Catholic, Catholic and Black". This encouraged Black Catholics to keep their Black cultural traditions.

In 1987, the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC) was formed. It was seen as a continuation of Daniel Rudd's Colored Catholic Congress movement from the late 1800s. It was founded as a nonprofit group with the NABCA, under the name of Father John Huston Ricard, who would later become a bishop.

Papal Visit (1987)

In September 1987, Pope John Paul II visited the United States. He made a special stop in New Orleans, which is considered an important place for Black Catholicism. There, he met with many cultural groups. During a Mass at the Superdome, jazz and gospel music were featured. Servant of God Sister Dr. Thea Bowman sang "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian".

The next day, the Pope had a private meeting with 2,000 Black Catholics from all over the country, including all the Black bishops. He talked about their concerns and praised their "cultural heritage." A Black Catholic gospel choir sang during this meeting.

Church Service Changes (late 1980s)

Also in 1987, the first and only Black Catholic hymnal (songbook) was published. It was called Lead Me, Guide Me. It included many traditional Black Gospel hymns along with traditional Catholic hymns. The foreword was written by Servant of God Sister Dr. Thea Bowman. She explained the history and value of African-American Christian worship. Father J-Glenn Murray, a Black Jesuit, wrote an introduction explaining how this worship fit with the Roman Rite of the Mass.

Two years later, in 1989, Unity Explosion was founded in Dallas. It is an annual conference that celebrates Black Catholic church services and expression. As of 2020, it has become a broader Black Catholic advocacy conference sponsored by the USCCB.

That same year, Sister Dr. Bowman, who was well-known (she had appeared on 60 Minutes), was invited to speak to the USCCB about Black Catholicism. She wore a dashiki (a colorful garment) and spoke to the bishops about the history and importance of Black Christian traditions. She sang various historic Black hymns during her speech. She ended the event by having everyone link arms and sing "We Shall Overcome".

Black Catholic Rite

In 1989, two Black bishops, Terry Steib and future Archbishop Wilton Gregory, offered to support Father Stallings' plans for an independent Black Catholic rite. However, these plans were not developed. In early August 1989, the Washington Post reported that the NOBC had supported the idea of an independent rite, but later reports said no official decision had been made.

Father George Stallings started an independent church in 1989. In February 1990, the Archbishop of Washington said that Stallings had separated himself from the Catholic Church by his actions. He started a new church group called Imani Temple.

Key Moments and Conclusion (1990s)

Father Cyprian Davis published his book History of Black Catholics in the United States in 1990. It covered Black history from the 16th century to the late 1980s. It is still the main book for the general history of Black Catholics. That same year, he and other Clergy Caucus members started Black Catholic History Month, celebrated every November.

In 1991, the National Association of Black Catholic Deacons began its work. That same year, Sister Dr. Jamie Phelps helped restart the annual meetings of the BCTS. The Interregional African American Catholic Evangelization Conference (IAACE), which trains people for ministry, also began meeting during this time.

St. Joseph's Black Catholic Church in Norfolk was renamed Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Norfolk, Virginia). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. After being restored in 1989, it was named a minor basilica in 1991. It was the first "Black basilica" and the first minor basilica in Virginia.

Around the same time, twin Divine Word priests Charles and Chester Smith, along with their fellow priests Anthony Clark and Ken Hamilton, started the Bowman-Francis Ministry. This group helps Black Catholic youth and holds an annual Sankofa Conference.

A survey was done in the early 1990s to see if Black Catholics wanted an independent rite. The NBCC formed an African American Catholic Rite Committee (AACRC). In 1991, they published a paper called "Right Rites", which suggested a study for the next Black Catholic congress. Their plan was similar to Stallings' earlier idea. Black Catholic theologian (and future bishop) Edward Braxton suggested a different plan, but neither was developed.

The survey results in 1995 were unclear about the desire for an independent rite. Some activists worried that people might not have understood that such a rite would still be fully connected to the rest of the Catholic Church. They also wondered if the focus on multiculturalism at that time had made the idea of a Black-centered effort less appealing.

Since the plenary councils of Baltimore in the 1800s, bishops had discussed similar ideas, but nothing had been done. The NBCC's AACRC stopped its work after the survey results were released.

What Happened Next

While some of the more extreme parts of the movement faced opposition, the movement as a whole was generally well-received by the Church. For example, Father Rivers' Black liturgical innovations were quickly accepted after Vatican II. The support from other Christian groups for the Black Unity Masses also showed how much support there was for Black liberation at the time.

However, the connection with Black liberation did attract attention from authorities. Some higher-ups in the Church, from local dioceses to the Vatican, were uncomfortable with the demands from Black Catholics for their own parishes, pastors, bishops, and cardinals. Often, their response was mixed.

Most of the requests were eventually granted. However, the strong activism of the movement slowed down, similar to the general decline of Black radicalism in the late 20th century. This has left Black Catholicism in a somewhat steady state since then.

Lasting Impact

Even though racism is still an issue in American Catholicism, the Black Catholic Movement created important ways to advocate, protect, and preserve Black Catholic traditions.

Most of the major national Black Catholic organizations and conferences still meet regularly today. The NBCC continues to release a "Pastoral Plan of Action" from time to time. The different organizations also make statements about important issues in the Black and Black Catholic communities.

About a quarter of Black Catholics worship in historically Black parishes. These churches almost always keep the style of Black Catholic worship and spiritual life that developed during the Black Catholic Movement. This style often comes from the larger Black Church.

In Pop Culture

In 1987, Servant of God Sister Dr. Thea Bowman, a Black Catholic theologian and historian, was featured on 60 Minutes by Mike Wallace. She famously convinced him to say the phrase "Black is beautiful." This appearance caught the eye of Harry Belafonte, who bought the rights to her life story. He wanted Whoopi Goldberg to play her in a movie about her life. Sister Thea passed away in 1991 from cancer, and the movie was never made.

However, a year later, Whoopi Goldberg played a gospel-singing Black nun in the 1992 American musical comedy, Sister Act. Its 1993 sequel had a similar story. Goldberg's character helped a group of urban Catholic high school students form a choir and perform various kinds of African-American music, especially gospel. A sequel is currently being made for Disney+.

Important Groups

Organizations

• National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC)
  • National Black Catholic Seminarians' Association (NBCSA)
• National Black Sisters' Conference (NBSC)
• National Association of Black Catholic Deacons (NABCD)
• National Association of Black Catholic Administrators (NABCA)
  • Interregional African American Catholic Evangelization Conference (IAACEC)

Conferences

• Black Catholic Joint Conference (annual meeting of the NBCC, NBSC, NBCSA, NABCD, and the deacons' wives)
• National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC)
• National Black Catholic Women's Gathering
  • Sankofa Conference

Academic

• Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS)
• Black Catholic Theological Symposium (BCTS)

Important People

• Father Herman Porter
• Bishop Joseph Francis
• Father George Clements
• Sister Dr. Martin de Porres Grey, RSM (now Dr. Patricia Grey)
• Sister Mary Antona Ebo
• Sister Mary Shawn Copeland, OP (now Dr. M. Shawn Copeland)
• Sister Jamie Phelps, OP
• Father Clarence Rivers
• Servant of God Sister Dr. Thea Bowman
• Father Cyprian Davis, OSB
• Rawn Harbor
• Archbishop James Lyke
• Fr J-Glenn Murray, SJ
• Bishop Harold Perry
• Father Lawrence Lucas
• Father William Norvel, SSJ
• Father Charles Smith, SVD
• Father Chester Smith, SVD
• Father Anthony Clark, SVD
• Father Ken Hamilton, SVD
• Roderick J. Bell
• Bishop John Ricard, SSJ
• Archbishop Wilton Gregory
• Bishop Terry Steib
• Father George Stallings
• Charles Hammock
• Joseph Dulin
• Estelle Collins
• Brother Joseph Davis, SM
• Father Edwin Cabey
• Bishop Joseph L. Howze
• Archbishop Eugene Marino
• Father Charles Burns
• Father Albert McKnight