‘The Ark and The Dove’ podcast explores racism and Black experience in Catholic Church

As the Archdiocese of Baltimore continues its Journey to Racial Justice initiative, exploring ways to combat racism and promote a change of culture in the church, the executive director of the archdiocesan Institute for Evangelization wanted to do his own discovery into race and its relation to the legacy of the Catholic Church, particularly in Baltimore.

Edward Herrera, a lifelong Catholic, started “The Ark and the Dove” podcast in June. Taking its name from the two companion ships that brought English Catholic settlers to Maryland in 1634, the four-episode podcast features interviews with clergy and subject-matter experts as it examines the roles and experiences of Black Catholics in the church, and America as a whole.

“I had a desire to learn more and understand more, in some ways, about the history of the Black Catholic church – meaning the practice of the Catholic faith by African-Americans – in a way that was shaped by the reality of slavery in the United States,” said Herrera, a co-host of the podcast. “Not to say all Black Catholics worship in the same style, but I wanted to learn more about that history and the reality of the racial divide in our country and our church, and understand how we can bring about greater reconciliation or bridge that racial divide.”

Herrera, a parishioner of St. Ursula in Parkville, said he was always interested in the question of race as it relates to the church. The racial reckoning the country experienced during the summer of 2020 further fanned the flames of that interest, he said.

The podcast discusses the general Black Catholic experience and delves into other topics including the gradual population change of Edmonson Village over time, how corrupt practices such as blockbusting and land installment contracts played a role in that transition, as well as the scheduling controversy that surrounded St. Frances Academy in Baltimore’s varsity football team in 2018.

Louis Damani Jones, one of Herrera’s co-hosts, assisted with creative direction and framing. Jones, a parishioner of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus in Belleville, Ill., saw the project as an opportunity to tell a story of a particular Black Catholic community, and how its experiences have been repeated in Black communities throughout the country.

“We were able to speak with people who have direct experiences of these policies,” Jones said. “I was aware of some of the historical realities, but I really gained a lot from hearing the stories. It’s totally different when you can talk to the people. When you hear from the people, it takes it out of the realm of ideas and you’re dealing with the people and the reality of it. You’re dealing with people who were impacted by these policies.”

Sara Perla, editing and creative director, said one of the goals of the podcast is to eliminate any racial ignorance that exists in the church, willful or otherwise.

“It’s primarily for Catholics who are tempted to believe that racism isn’t an issue anymore,” said Perla, a parishioner of Holy Redeemer in College Park and communications manager for The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America in Washington. “We’re hoping that by listening, they will recognize that it is still a problem and they can do something about it.”

Though primarily aimed at the Catholic community, Herrera said the podcast is structured in such a way that anyone can listen to it and follow along with the discussions. The desire is that as listeners receive the information, they ask themselves what they can do to improve race relations in the country.

“I hope it would be received as a reflection point – an invitation to reflect on the racial divide in the country,” he said. “But also reflect on how I as an individual, in my sphere, can work toward racial reconciliation. I hope they would ask that question of themselves, particularly within the lens of faith, to wrestle with those questions.”

Some of the guests featured on the podcast include retired Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, Ill.; Father Josh Johnson, vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, La.; Gloria Purvis, speaker and host of “The Gloria Purvis Podcast”; and Deacon B. Curtis Turner, head of school at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore.

The first episode of “The Ark and the Dove” was released June 19, also known as Junteenth, commemorating the day in 1865 when some slaves in Texas finally learned of the end of slavery due to news of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching them. Other episodes followed weekly. They are available on all streaming platforms.

For more information, visit www.arkanddovepod.com

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