Black Catholic History Month

Black Catholic History Month

November 2020

Sts. Felicity and Perpetua

• An enslaved woman and a noblewoman martyred together in Carthage in the early third century

• Have been celebrated for almost the entire history of the Church

• Included in the litany of saints

Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton

• First Black American to become a priest

• 1854-1897

• Ministered to Black Catholics in the Chicago area

• Declared venerable in 2019

St. Augustine

• A Doctor of the Church and a Church Father

• Lived in the 4th and 5th centuries in modern day Algeria

• Bishop of Hippo

• Wrote many important works - like Confessions and The City of God

St. Monica

• Mother of St. Augustine and a patron saint of mothers

• Lived in modern day Algeria in the 4th century

• Prayed earnestly for the conversion of her husband and son

Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory

• First Black American to be created Cardinal

• Archbishop of Washington (D.C. Diocese)

• Former President of USCCB

• Born in Chicago in 1947

St. Josephine Bakhita

• Born in Sudan in 1869

• Was enslaved for much of her life

• When the people enslaving her moved to Italy she was able to convert to Catholicism

• She remained with the Canossian Sisters and died in 1947

• Canonized in 2000 - Feast Day Feb 8th

Cardinal Robert Sarah

• Born 1945 in French Guinea (Now: Guinea, Africa)

• Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Venerable Pierre Toussaint

• Born into slavery in Haiti in 1766

• Ended up in NYC working as a hairdresser where he made a very good living

• He was a philanthropist

• Died in 1853 and is buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral

Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman

• 1937-1990

• Popular speaker on faith

• Worked against racism and segregation within the Church

St. Martin de Porres

• 1579-1639

• Canonized in 1962 by Pope St. John XXIII

• Lived in Peru and was a lay brother in the Dominican Order

• Worked on behalf of the poor

• Is the patron of mixed race people and public schools

St. Charles Lwanga

• 1860-1886

• Ugandan convert to the Catholic faith

• Martyred by the king for defending the faith

Servant of God Mother Mary Lange

• 1784-1882

• Founded the first African-American congregation of women religious - the Oblate Sisters of Providence

• Worked in the greater Baltimore area

St. Benedict the Moor

• 1526-1589

• Italian Franciscan Friar

• Cared for the poor

• Patron of African Missions and Black People

St. Moses the Black

• Desert father from the fourth century

• Born in Ethiopia and lived in Egypt

• Patron of non-violence

Servant of God Julia Greeley

• Born in Mississippi in early 1800s into slavery

• Known as Denver's Angel of Charity - spent a lot of time helping the poor

• Died in 1918

Multiple Choice

Who was related to another saint on this list?

• St. Augustine

• St. Felicity

• Julia Greeley

• St. Moses

Multiple Choice

Fr. Augustus Tolton was the first African American man to go to seminary in the United States.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Who is still alive?

• Robert Sarah

• Thea Bowman

• Martin dePorres

• Augustus Tolton

Multiple Choice

Who isn't American? (best answer)

• Pierre Toussaint

• Mary Lange

• Wilton Gregory

• Josephine Bakhita

Multiple Choice

Who was martyred?

• Fr. Augustus Tolton

• St. Charles Lwanga

• St. Monica

• St. Benedict the Moor