Office Of African American Ministry
Director: Ms. Linda Duhon-LaCour, Tel. (409) 924-4300 ext. 4306, llacour@dioceseofbmt.org
Assistant Director: Tommie Marshall, Tel. (409) 924-4300 ext. 4306, tmarshall@dioceseofbmt.org
Secretary: Mrs. Sandra Hall, (409) 924-4300 ext. 4325, shall@dioceseofbmt.org
Services: The Office of African-American Ministry is based on the National Black Catholic Pastoral Plan to assist parishes in evangelization, especially in the African-American community.
There are seven areas of starting points:
- Evangelization - reflections on evangelization and a strategy for participation and action;
- African-American Catholic identity - promote fellowship among African-American Catholics and ensure outreach to the larger community to enhance unity and identity;
- Catholic leadership and development - encourage ministry and leadership training programs and enrollment in ministry degree programs;
- African-American Spirituality - rediscover the relationship of sacred scripture and the faith;
- African-American Family Life - collaborate with diocesan offices, parishes, organizations and community that include family outreach, involvement, and assistance;
- Social justice issues and concerns - collaborate with other offices and organizations concerning pro-life issues and racism;
- Responding to the call - development of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
- The Ambassadors of the Word will host a Young Adult Retreat at Sea June 14-21, 2008. For more information contact griena@aol.com or call 205-923-7347
- Archbishop James P. Lyke Conference - July 9-13, 2008 - Lafayette, LA. For more information, contact Edwina Mallery at emallery@lykeconference.com or to the website www.lykeconference.com
- Unity Explosion hosted by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston - July 24-27, 2008. Intercontinental Houston Hotel. For more information, please call 713-659-5461 x 406 or email dladet@archgh.org.
A journey through the seven sacraments
By Linda Duhon LaCour, director, Office of African American Ministry and
Rev. Henry J. Davis, S.S.J.,
spiritual moderator,
Office of African American Ministry
The 10th National Black Catholic Congress met July 12-15, 2007, in Buffalo, N.Y., with the theme: Christ is With Us: Celebrating the Gifts of the Sacraments.
It was an empowering experience and a life giving event. Congress X engaged hundreds of youth and more than 2,000 adults and affirmed the value and the vibrancy of the Black Catholic movement.
We affirmed that our movement is grounded in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church and committed to working for positive change in our community, particularly regarding Africa, Catholic Education, HIV-AIDS, Parish Life, Social Justice, Spirituality, Racism, Youth and Young Adults.
We continually work to promote positive strategies for building the Catholic Church in the Black community.
Daniel Rudd, who convened the first Black Catholic Congress in the late 1800s, believed that the Catholic Church had a powerful message to proclaim in our community. Catholicism is completely compatible with our culture. Africans have been a part of the Catholic Church since its beginnings, shaping her message and advancing her mission. {cf. Acts of the Apostles 2:10; 8:26-40; and 13:1-3}
We seek to reclaim our apathetic or alienated Black Catholics, as well as to strengthen the faithful, by helping our people to appreciate what God has given to us in the Catholic faith.
Our Congress shepherds encouraged us to continue to promote liturgical celebrations that are “authentically Black” and “truly Catholic” – liturgies that would reflect the genius of our cultures through catechetical instruction, spiritual direction and pastoral counseling for formation in Christian discipleship.
Fundamental to our identity is that we are beloved children of God. This has been an important truth to receive as Blacks endured the deleterious effects of racism in American history. Created in the diving image, we rejoice in the gifts of our culture and offer these gifts back to God in worship and praise.
Out of the Congress X came A Proven Foundation for Fruitful Ministry: Congress X Plan of Action – a guide for the next five years. From this guide we have the theological insights and practical steps that our parishes and dioceses will use to carry out our shared commitments rooted in the evangelization mission of the National Black Catholic Congress.
The sacraments are encounters with our Lord Jesus Christ. When we celebrate the sacraments, we proclaim the Gospel. When we left Buffalo in 2007, we were charged with feeding the hunger of Black Catholics with a deeper understanding of the sacraments.
Over the next four years we will delve more deeply into all seven sacraments. However, we will discuss them in a way that may be a little different than we are used to.
The seven sacraments are divided into: sacraments of initiation – baptism, holy Eucharist and confirmation; sacraments of service – matrimony and holy orders; and sacraments of healing – reconciliation and anointing of the sick.
Come journey with us as we learn more about the sacraments of service.
In the sacrament of holy orders we are called to examine the meaning of the apostolic ministry entrusted by Christ to his apostles and the activity of the Church.
This sacrament confers the gift of the Holy Spirit that allows the ordained to exercise the grace of Christs’ presence in the world. The deacon, the priest and the bishop take on the role of exercising the person of Jesus through preaching, service and authority.
The sacrament of matrimony offers an opportunity for a man and woman to come together in a communion of love, compassion and covenant and in the name of Christ to serve the other first.
Matrimony offers a partnership for life in which a husband and wife care for one another and, as a reminder of their love the begetting of children. They are to raise their children in the knowledge of God and instill the teaching of the command of Christ, “Love one another as I love you.”
Christ is the center of the sacraments of matrimony and holy orders. It is appropriate that we should begin with these two sacraments of service since they offer the opportunity for individuals to put on the person of Christ and to serve mankind with love.
The importance of understanding these sacraments offers an important moment in the life of the whole church that the graces of Christ in all the sacraments will be available for all generations to come.
