All are invited to a Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom beginning with a Mass of unity at 10 a.m. June 19 at St. Adalbert/Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church, 2347 E. 83rd St., Cleveland. Celebrant will be Father Tom Fanta, pastor of St. Dominic Church in Shaker Heights.
Planning to concelebrate are Father Anthony Simone, presbyteral moderator of St. Aloysius/St. Agatha Parish in Cleveland and parochial vicar at St. Jerome Parish in Cleveland and Father Clarence Williams, C.PP.S. Father Williams, a Missionary of the Precious Blood, is the only priest who is an alumnus of St. Adalbert School in Cleveland. He is a member of the National Black Clergy Caucus and has ministered in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Michigan and the Diocese of Columbus.
The Diocesan Gospel Choir, African dancers and youth praise dancers also will participate in the liturgy.
After Mass, there will be a family gathering on the parish grounds with food, fellowship, music, a split pot drawing and activities for children. The celebration will last until about 4 p.m.
The event is coordinated by the diocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministries. Sister Jane Nesmith, director of the office, said this is the first time the diocese will have a Juneteenth celebration. Sponsoring parishes include St. Adalbert/OLBS, Holy Spirit in Garfield Heights, St. Agnes/Our Lady of Fatima, St. Aloysius/St. Agatha, Our Lady of Peace and St. Dominic.
“We hope to make this an annual event,” Sister Nesmith said. Members of the sponsoring parishes helped plan and implement the liturgy and will coordinate the food. Catholic Charities will livestream the Mass so their employees can watch, she added.
“There will be people grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and we will have food set up in the St. Adalbert School cafeteria,” Sister Nesmith said. There will be a large tent where people can gather to eat and socialize. She said the Knights of Columbus are assisting with setup. She also offered thanks to the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of St. Peter Claver, Office of Black Catholic Ministries Advisory Board, the Gospel Choir, musicians, dancers and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland for their help in planning and implementing the celebration.
Parking is available adjacent to the parish and on the street, Sister Nesmith said. “I expect many from the neighborhood will walk over for the celebration,” she added. Masks are optional in the church, but appreciated, Sister Nesmith said. They will be available at the doors of the church.
Juneteenth, which became a national holiday in 2021, commemorates the emancipation of African American slaves at the end of the Civil War. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the order issued by Major Gen. Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for all slaves in Texas, June 19, 1865. Since then, Juneteenth has been observed in various cities across the country.
Sister Nesmith said Black Americans gather on Juneteenth to feast and celebrate. Sometimes the celebrations include parades and the reading of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. The diocesan celebration also will include praise and worship in the oldest historically Black parish in the Diocese of Cleveland, St. Adalbert/OLBS. Bishop Edward Malesic visited the parish in April 2022 to preside at a Mass and celebration marking the parish centennial.
Many Juneteenth celebrations feature drinks and foods that are red. Some say the red symbolizes the blood of millions of enslaved people who suffered and died. However, the red foods and drinks also may have additional meaning. In some African cultures, the color red is considered as a symbol of strength, spirituality, life and death. Red drinks served at Juneteenth celebrations also have links to the fruits of two native West African plants: the kola nut and hibiscus.
Click here to contact the Office of Black Catholic Ministries. More information on Juneteenth is available here.
Read Bishop Edward Malesic's message on Juneteenth here.