Analysis: Going Forth and writing the vision of the 13th National Black Catholic Congress

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – For me, it was the last day of the 13th National Black Catholic Congress at the Gaylord Hotel National Resort in National Harbor, Md. As I headed to the hotel garage, I felt like I was leaving a part of myself behind. I wanted more time to sit and speak with folks, to rest after days of walking long corridors and navigating those happily ambling along, ready for the next learning experience.

The 3,000-strong congress attendees were jubilant during Mass as they sang along with the 90-member choir belting out “We’ve come this far by faith!”

During roll call, delegates were creative in shouting their presence. Some jumped up and waved their cell phone flashlights while others danced and chanted favorite slogans. T-shirts gave their clan identities.

The Baltimore delegation was the only one to cleverly reserve its seating in the ballroom where plenary sessions and Mass were held by placing long colorful cloths on the backs of chairs.

Deacon Seigfried Presberry, director of prison ministry for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a member of St. Ambrose Parish in Park Heights, sported his group’s black T-shirt that read on the back “Reppin’ Black Catholics Across Baltimore.”

Deacon Presberry will receive a papal honor for his service in prison ministry Sept. 23 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. He worked in prisons for 25 years and has been with the archdiocese since 2014.

This was a heady experience for first-time attendees Joan Davenport from Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Shonta Giovannitti of Crowley, Texas, and her friend La’Wonda Peoples of Fort Worth, Texas. They said they were elated just to be a part of the historic gathering.

While 60 breakout sessions were conducted over a three-day period, delegates could attend only five at most. This limited opportunity frustrated some.

Delegates Mary Chamberlain and Allison Walker, both from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said they were pleased with the sessions they attended. Chamberlain wanted to learn more about the six black American Catholics on their journey to sainthood while Walker said she benefited from the session on “From Passion to Profit.”

“The gentleman was trying to share with us that you have to be passionate about what you are doing and how you can turn it into profit,” she said.

“A lot of times, us Catholics are not always taught to make a lot of money, but you can make a lot of money and be a great Catholic as long as you share it.”

I must confess my great disappointment in learning that Laurence Payne, the layman who was instrumental back in 1986 in calling for a resumption of the National Black Catholic Congresses, was not able to attend as planned. It would have been great to have this type of modern-day Daniel Rudd recognized for his insightful proposal that the 10 black Catholic bishops at the time fully embraced and implemented the following year. 

Payne, of Houston, was hospitalized the day before his scheduled departure for a burst blood vessel in his foot. That, on top of battling stage-four cancer, he said, was too much for him.

But he shared a reflection with the Catholic Review from his hospital bed on how he sees black Catholics being able to go forward in building their ministries.

“I think we’re good at coming together for liturgy, … but it seems to me that the way to engage your communities and keep them alive is to get them more involved in the community. …

“Even a simple thing like robust bazaars that we used to hold where the whole community would come, not just the Catholic community. You could see the church alive, in motion. We would encourage people to talk to the guests who were non-Catholic and invite them to our activities,” Payne said.

“We’ve lost part of that outward spirit in trying to save the inward spirit. … We need to be more proactive around the issue of policy change that is going to affect our people. That is what the young people are looking for too. They want to see a church engaged in the issues of the day,” he said.

Father Stephen Thorne, chairman of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Commission for Racial Healing and a consultant to the the National Black Catholic Congress, Inc., urged the gathering to take an anonymous survey based on the congress theme “Write the Vision, a Prophetic Call to Thrive.” It is available online and asks delegates to list the three most important issues for black Catholics today.

“In the past, you called it a draft,” he explained. “We’ve taken the data and written a plan afterwards. This time you, all of you,” are invited to share your thoughts. “We want to get the data in real person, in live time. … And don’t just bring a problem, bring a solution.”

Father Thorne added, “We’ve got to come down from this mountain and do some work.”

He was correct in mirroring the apostle St. Peter who said to the transfigured Lord high atop a mountain in Matthew 17, “It is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

As they were coming down from the mountain, however, Jesus charged them not to “tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Considering the Lord has indeed risen from the dead, the “until” time is here for Christians worldwide. And being an integral part of their worldwide Catholic family, black Catholics are leaving the tents and ballrooms of the Gaylord and heading the charge.

They have gone forth to not only “tell the vision” of what transformed lives can look like, they will continue to “write the vision” for the energizing of generations to come.

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