What Does It Mean To Be Black And Catholic?

I was recently reminded of the address that Servant of God (the first step on the road to official sainthood) Thea Bowman gave to the US Bishops in June of 1989. She was a remarkable woman and didn’t pull any punches. But in reviewing what she said, I realized that what she is asking the church to become is describing a synodal church. So from her first description  of how she feels in the church by singing “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” to the bishops linked arm-in-arm singing “We Shall Overcome,” it’s a heartfelt and eloquent way to gain insight into both Black Catholic experience and a synodal church.

Link to transcript

-Fr Lou