This November, there is increased excitement in the air. Black Catholics everywhere are praising Pope Francis’ June 11th declaration that Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), the first African-American to be ordained Catholic priest, had lived a life of heroic virtue. That declaration signified that Father Tolton, a former slave turned priest who endured much discrimination and hardship before his untimely death at age 43, had consistently and exceptionally displayed the cardinal virtues (prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice) and the theological virtues (faith, hope and love) and that he is worthy to ascend to the second stage in the canonization process. Read More

The Texas Conference of Catholic Bishops have called on Gov. Greg Abbott to delay or cancel the execution of Rodney Reed, a convicted murderer who maintains his innocence. "The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops engages in advocacy efforts for every single Texas execution by urging the Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant reprieve as a matter of mercy based on our position that the death penalty is inadmissible in modern society,” said Jennifer Allmon, executive director of the Texas Conference for Catholic Bishops in a statement provided to CNA. But, Allmon said, Reed's case is different. Read More

The Catholic Diocese of Lafayette has donated $50,000 toward rebuilding efforts of three Louisiana churches destroyed by arson. Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel presented the pastors of three St. Landry Parish historically black Baptist churches with the money on Thursday, The Advocate reported. Read More

In honor of Black Catholic History Month, the Diocese of Rochester will host special rosary services in November to commemorate the people and events important to Catholics of African descent. The rosary services are being sponsored by the Diocese of Rochester’s Office of Cultural Ministries and the Black Catholic Leadership Commission, a diocesan committee that aims for Catholics of African descent to fully participate in the life of the church. Read More

When I was a classroom teacher, I had the opportunity to teach a course called College Summit. College Summit was not only a course designed to walk students through the college admission and application process, it also helped students identify their strengths and begin to explore out which college majors may interest them. As part of the class, I sponsored a career day for all of my seniors; for this event, I invited two African American nuns who represented the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first order of African American religious women founded in the United States. Read More

Black Catholics are a diverse group encompassing African-Americans, Caribbean-Americans and recent immigrants from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and Central America as well as South America. They actually outnumber better-known black religious denominations such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). Read More

What do Simone Biles, Donna Brazile, and Kobe Bryant all have in common? Through their successes, trials and tribulations, they have remained devout members of the Catholic faith. Read More

It wasn't easy for Daryl Whitley to stand before a diverse audience of listeners as he prepared to share his experiences of racism. But he knew that doing so could promote justice and racial healing. So, crediting the Holy Spirit, Whitley told about 100 people at an Indianapolis archdiocesan listening session how he experienced racism as a teenager during a sporting event some 40 years ago. Sharing the experience "was pretty liberating and kind of helped me to heal a little bit, because I normally don't talk about this," said Whitley, a black Catholic who is a member of Holy Angels Parish in Indianapolis. "I've never had to write it down and actually read it and share it with a large group of people, especially a diverse group of people. Read More