A series of Masses this weekend, culminating with liturgy at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Jan. 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – will kick off a busy year for the Office of Black Catholic Ministries.
Sister Jane Nesmith, SBS, office director, said Father John Judie, a retired priest from the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, would preach at three Masses this weekend.
The first, at 5 p.m. Jan. 13 at St. Dominic Church, 19000 Van Aken Blvd., Shaker Heights, will be followed by a discussion and reception at which Phillis Clipps, who works with Sister Nesmith, and Father Judie, will speak on “United in Faith – The Black Catholic Experience.” About 200 people are expected to attend the multicultural event.
The parish’s Racial Equity Task Force is helping to coordinate the program. Father Tom Fanta is St. Dominic’s pastor.
Father Judie also will preach at the livestreamed 10:30 a.m. Mass Jan. 14 at St. Aloysius/St. Agatha Church, 10932 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Father Anthony Simone is the parish’s presbyteral moderator.
Auxiliary Bishop Michel Woost will celebrate the noon Mass Jan. 15 in the cathedral. The liturgy will be livestreamed and Father Judie will be the homilist. Jeremy Mangan, a senior at North Olmsted High School and a St. Agnes-Our Lady of Fatima parishioner, will present a reflection after Communion focusing on King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
The diocesan African dancers will perform prior to the Mass.
A special collection will be accepted at the Mass to help defray the cost of outreach programs for Black Catholic youth in the diocese.
Sister Nesmith invites the faithful from across the eight-county diocese to attend one of the Masses or to view the livestreamed MLK Day liturgy, which will be available on demand on the diocesan website.
On Jan. 16, Father Judie will participate in an MLK Day Prayer Service and Pillar of Compassion for students, faculty and staff at Elyria Catholic High School in Elyria.
In addition, Sister Nesmith said plans are being finalized for the annual diocesan Lenten Revival. The three-day event – 7-9 p.m. Feb. 14-16 – begins on Ash Wednesday. It will be hosted by St. Adalbert-Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, 2347 E. 83rd St., Cleveland. Father Oscar Pratt from the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, will lead the revival. Father Pratt visited the diocese last summer and was the homilist for the third ballpark Mass, which was hosted by St. Agnes-Our Lady of Fatima Parish.
The Praise Dancers and Diocesan Gospel Choir will perform at the revival. Bishop Woost is scheduled to celebrate the opening Mass.
The Office of Black Catholic Ministries is planning a 10-day pilgrimage to Tanzania (Africa) in May.
“Father Judie spends part of the year ministering in Tanzania,” Sister Nesmith said. He will guide the diocesan pilgrims on the trip. She said about 10 people are expected to participate in the pilgrimage that will offer a glimpse into the life and culture of the Tanzanian people.
The second diocesan Juneteenth celebration will take place at Glenview Park in Cleveland with St. Aloysius-St. Agatha as the host parish this year. Sister Nesmith said the event will include Mass and a community picnic. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, will be inviting participants at its area centers, including the Fatima Family Center and St. Martin de Porres Center, to participate in the event and its planning.
Then in July, Sister Nesmith said a cohort of Black Catholics will be part of the diocesan delegation to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event is expected to draw tens of thousands of Catholics from across the country.
Sister Nesmith said her office is ready to assist anyone with resources and information. Click here to contact the office.
The Office of Black Catholic Ministries, which is under the Parish Life and Special Ministries Office, seeks to carry out advocacy for the concerns and needs of Black Catholics. It strives to fulfill this mission by providing staff support to the Diocesan Race Relations Committee, Diocesan Gospel Choir, Diocesan African Catholic Community and to the diocesan Catholic schools and institutions that serve the greater African American community – both Catholic and non-Catholic. It communicates with various offices locally and nationally in support of issues relating to Black Catholic Ministries, serves in an advisory capacity to the bishop and his staff for matters of concern to African Americans and collaborates with the civic community on issues addressing the Black community.