February is Black History Month and one Cleveland Parish is celebrating in a unique way.
St. Aloysius-St. Agatha Parish is recognizing Black Americans who are on the path to sainthood.
Several large banners recently were hung in the historic church at 10932 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland.
Among those highlighted are Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, Venerable Pierre Touissant, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Father Augustus Tolton and Servant of God Julia Greeley.
The parish describes itself as being “a welcoming Catholic parish embracing its African America culture, empowering its members and sharing its love of Christ through service to the community.”
Sister Mary Jean Raymond, parish pastoral associate, researched the Black candidates for canonization and said as far as she can determine, St. Aloysius-St. Agatha is the only parish in the Diocese of Cleveland to feature them on banners.
Sister Bowman was born in 1937 and died in 1990 after a battle with cancer. She converted to Catholicism as a child because of the influence of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity who were her teachers. She exposed the richness of the African American culture and was cognizant that God was the God of the poor and oppressed.
A cause was opened for her canonization and in 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced its support of her canonization cause.
Mother Delille, a free woman of color, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1812 and died in 1862. She had a religious conversion at age 24 and proclaimed: “I believe in God. I hope in God. I love. I want to live and die for God.” She carried out apostolic ministry to both slaves and other people of color. In addition, she founded and was the first superior of the Society of the Holy Family. Her cause for canonization was opened in 1988.
Touissant was born in 1766 in Haiti and came to New York City as a slave while a child. He trained to w a hairdresser and was very successful, which enabled him to support others and buy freedom for some slaves, including his wife and niece. He was a devout, charitable man who attended daily Mass and helped raise funds to build the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Vincent de Paul Church.
His cause for canonization was opened in 1968 and in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared him venerable.
Servant of God Mother Mary Lange was born about 1794 in Cuba and was well educated. She came to Baltimore, Maryland in the early 1800s and opened a school in her home for African American children since there was no free public education for them. She founded the first congregation of African American women, the Oblate Sisters of Providence, serving as their first superior general. She died in 1882 and her cause for canonization was opened in 1991.
Father Tolton, the first Black Catholic priest in the United States, was born to slave parents in 1854. When the Civil War broke out, his father hoped to gain freedom for the family and escaped to the North, serving in the Union Army until he was killed in the war. Father Tolton’s mother moved the family to Illinois and tried to enroll the children in Catholic school. Other parents objected so the children were tutored privately by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. As he grew up, Father Tolton was interested in the priesthood but could not gain admittance to a seminary. He traveled to Rome to complete his education and formation and was ordained in 1886.
Father Tolton returned to Illinois and ministered there until his death in 1897. His cause for canonization was opened in 2012.
Greeley, known as Denver’s “angel of charity,” was born into slavery between 1833 and 1848. She was freed in 1863 and made a living working for white families in several states, spending much time in the Denver area, where she had the reputation of being a one-person St. Vincent de Paul Society because of her assistance to the needy. She entered the Church in 1880 and visited – on foot – ever fire station in Denver to deliver literature for the Sacred Heart League. She joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was active with the group until her death in 1918.
Her cause for canonization was opened in 2016.
Canonization is the process for declaring someone a saint. Prior to 1234, there was no formal process. Over the years, the process underwent revision. Today, when someone dies who has “fame of sanctity” or “fame of martyrdom,” the bishop of his or her diocese usually begins an investigation into the person’s life. The information gathered is submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints and the person may be declared a servant of God.
Further investigation is done and if warranted, the person may be declared venerable.
The next step is beatification, which requires the person to be credited with a miracle. Another miracle is needed for canonization and the formal declaration of sainthood.