• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Participants cheer during a workshop at the National Black Catholic Congress held at National Harbor. (Carole Norris Greene/For The Catholic Review)

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

July 27, 2023
By Carole Norris Greene
Special to the Catholic Review
Filed Under: Black Catholic Ministry, Commentary, National Black Congress, Racial Justice

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

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.

Baltimore brought a large delegation to the National Black Catholic Congress. (Catholic Review Staff)

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. 

Baltimore was well represented at the NBCC at National Harbor. (Carole Norris Greene/For The Catholic Review)

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.

Read More Black Catholic Ministry

A legacy of faith and firsts: Catholic Daughters of the Americas make history in East Baltimore

Juneteenth

Juneteenth seen as day to reflect on freedom, ending racism and Black Catholics’ contributions

Pope Leo’s Creole roots raise hopes for Black American sainthood causes 

New pope’s Black, Creole roots illuminate rich multiracial history of U.S.

Attendees of Sister Thea Bowman Conference encouraged to bring ‘whole self’ to church

He’s made history as first African American to be cardinal, archbishop of Washington

Copyright © 2023 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Carole Norris Greene

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

The virtue of patriotism

Sculpture of St. Rita and St. Therese with a cross and holy water font at the center sits on a table

A Gift and a Connection to the Past

Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

| Recent Local News |

Deacon Gary Elliott Dumer Jr., active in men’s ministry, dies

Radio Interview: The music and ministry of Seph Schlueter

Hunt Valley parishioner recalls her former student – a future pope

Father Herman Benedict Czaster, former Curley teacher, dies at 86

Loyola University Maryland graduate ordained Jesuit priest

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • 80 years after ‘Trinity,’ Catholic-hosted gathering calls to abolish nuclear weapons
  • Gaza’s Christian community persevering amid hardship and hope
  • Nearly one in three conceptions in England and Wales end in abortion, government figures reveal
  • The virtue of patriotism
  • Caring for others, serving life is the ‘supreme law,’ pope says
  • Deacon Gary Elliott Dumer Jr., active in men’s ministry, dies
  • Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors’ new president ‘pioneer in his field,’ French lawyer says
  • Radio Interview: The music and ministry of Seph Schlueter
  • Jesus did not ignore those in need, and neither should Christians, pope says

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en