Black Catholic History Month and Holy 6 Black American Catholics Soon to be Canonized Saints - VIDEO
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American Catholics celebrate Black Catholic History Month each November. According to the Vatican, of the 250 million people of African descent in the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world, over 256 million of them live in the African continent. The largest percentage of growth in the Catholic population over the last 100 years, occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are over 3 million African American Catholics in the U.S. There are approximately 250 African American priests, 437 deacons, and 75 men of African descent in seminary formation for the priesthood in the United States. There are also 400 African American religious sisters and 50 religious brothers in the United States. At present there are 12 living African American Bishops, including one Cardinal and one Archbishop. Also, there are 5 retired bishops. Currently, 4 U.S. dioceses are headed by African American bishops. The African American or Black population in the United States is estimated to be just over 41 million people (12.9% of the total U.S. population) many also identify as Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino or Haitian.The annual celebration began in 1990, and this year, “Holy Six” — the Black Catholics who ministered in the United States and who are currently under formal consideration for canonization. lives of Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, and Servants of God Mary Lange, Julia Greeley and Thea Bowman.
Among the black American Catholics there are what some us call the “Holy Six” — the Black Catholics who ministered in the United States and who are currently under formal consideration for canonization. Each of these men and women — Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, and Servants of God Mary Lange, Julia Greeley and Thea Bowman — tried to be reflections Christ’s love in our sinful world.
American Catholics Black Catholic History Month has been Celebrated each November since 1990, Black Catholic History Month is a time to reflect on the witness of the Holy Six and other black Catholics, and to honor these heroes of the faith.
Short Biography of the six Black Catholics who are on the path to sainthood at the present time.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1776-1853)
Venerable Pierre Toussaint was born a slave in Haiti. Philanthropist & Founder of many Catholic charitable works. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He is the first layperson to be buried there.
Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange (1784-1882)
Mother Mary Lange was the foundress and first Superior General of the Oblate Sisters of Providence (1829-1832), the first congregation of African American women religious in the history of the Catholic Church. She is believed to be Cuban born of Haitian descent.
Venerable Henriette Delille (1813-1862)
Venerable Henriette Delille was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she lived all of her life. In 1842, she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family. This was the second congregation of African-American women religious in the USA.
Fr. Augustus Tolton (1854-1897)
Fr. Augustus Tolton was the first Roman Catholic priest in the United States publicly known to be black when he was ordained in 1886. A former slave who was baptized and reared Catholic, Tolton studied formally in Rome. He was ordained at St. John Lateran (Rome).
Julia Greeley (1833 and 1848-1918)
Julia Greeley was born into slavery, at Hannibal, Missouri, sometime between 1833 and 1848. Freed by Missouri's Emancipation Act in 1865, she joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was active in it till her death in 1918. She is buried in Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA (1937-1990)
Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA was born in 1937 and reared in Canton, Mississippi. As a child she converted to Catholicism. She was Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. During her short lifetime (52 years), she was dedicated to preparing priests and seminarians working in the African-American parishes and institutions in the USA.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1776-1853)
Venerable Pierre Toussaint was born a slave in Haiti. Philanthropist & Founder of many Catholic charitable works. He is buried in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. He is the first layperson to be buried there.
Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange (1784-1882)
Mother Mary Lange was the foundress and first Superior General of the Oblate Sisters of Providence (1829-1832), the first congregation of African American women religious in the history of the Catholic Church. She is believed to be Cuban born of Haitian descent.
Venerable Henriette Delille (1813-1862)
Venerable Henriette Delille was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she lived all of her life. In 1842, she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family. This was the second congregation of African-American women religious in the USA.
Fr. Augustus Tolton (1854-1897)
Fr. Augustus Tolton was the first Roman Catholic priest in the United States publicly known to be black when he was ordained in 1886. A former slave who was baptized and reared Catholic, Tolton studied formally in Rome. He was ordained at St. John Lateran (Rome).
Julia Greeley (1833 and 1848-1918)
Julia Greeley was born into slavery, at Hannibal, Missouri, sometime between 1833 and 1848. Freed by Missouri's Emancipation Act in 1865, she joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1901 and was active in it till her death in 1918. She is buried in Denver's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA (1937-1990)
Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA was born in 1937 and reared in Canton, Mississippi. As a child she converted to Catholicism. She was Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. During her short lifetime (52 years), she was dedicated to preparing priests and seminarians working in the African-American parishes and institutions in the USA.
Sources: https://cultural.catholic.edu/resources/bchm.html
https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs/demographics
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