26th Annual Manassas African-American Heritage Festival – August 6, 2016 (Evangelization in Action)

By Deacon Al Anderson, Jr. Black Catholic Ministries

For the third year in a row, the Black Catholic Ministries for the Diocese of Arlington’s Office of Multicultural Ministries has presented a display at the Manassas African-American Heritage Festival. Over the years the festival has grown to include more than 125 exhibitors, including arts and crafts dealers, retailers of African Wares, church groups, youth groups, colleges and school exhibits, Health Fair, Business and Job Expos, Classic Car Show and great food vendors.

Our diocesan Black Catholic display

 

Our Black Catholic Ministries displays have routinely drawn fallen-away Catholics, curiosity seekers, and others into meaningful discussions. This year’s festival was no exception. What a wonderful opportunity for evangelization!

We met one lady (we’ll call her “Sue”) who was a cradle Catholic, but stopped going to church many years ago. Sue’s mother remained faithful to the practice of the faith and continues to pray for Sue’s “reversion” . Sue shared with me that this was her first Festival, but for some reason felt drawn to this year’s event. When she came across our display table she knew she had to stop and talk. We had a very good conversation and she is seriously considering coming back to Church. Praise God!

We also met an inter-racial Catholic couple who was looking for information about Black Catholics to share with their son. We were able to share with them:

• The stories of the four African-American Catholics who currently have causes being promoted for canonization: Venerable Pierre Toussaint; Servant of God, Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange; Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, and Servant of God, Fr. Augustus Tolton.
• The histories of several Black Catholic religious orders, including: the Josephites (an active order of priests and brothers founded after the Civil War to minister to the spiritual and material needs of newly freed slaves), the Oblate Sisters of Providence (the oldest order of Black Catholic nuns in the world), and the Sisters of the Holy Family (The 2^nd oldest order of Black Catholic nuns).
• Information about the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver – originally founded November 7, 1909 in Mobile Alabama as an organization to allow men and women of color membership in a Catholic fraternal, family-oriented, society.

Each year we have been blessed to have opportunities for dialogue with folks who are curious about Catholicism; have questions about what we believe; or are looking for a way “back home”. All the while enjoying great food, wonderful music, beautiful antique cars, and genuine, warm-hearted fellowship! Even the torrential rains which came at the end of the day couldn’t dampen the spirits of the good people there! Hope to see y’all there next year!

And then the Rain came!

Thank You!

By: Michael Folmar, Seminarian

This past summer was truly a gift, as well as a blessing. To have been given the opportunity to visit and interact with various ethnic communities throughout our rich diocese has been very edifying. I cannot thank our shepherd, Bishop Loverde, and my Vocation Director, Fr. J. D. Jaffe, enough for assigning me to the Office of Multicultural Ministries for my summer 2016 assignment. Being enriched by all the experiences my summer assignment brought me, I now have a better understanding of all the various facets of people that I will, God willing, serve as a priest in our diocese. St. Paul said that we need to “be all things to all men.” Therefore, a solid understanding of the history and traditions of those we serve is valuable to possess. Each one of us originates from a particular cultural background, have had different experiences, and have been fostered by various Catholic upbringings, which have all shaped us uniquely in the image of God.  If we are to meet people where they are and lead them on to greater holiness, closer to God, we need to understand where they are coming from. We all are “beautifully and wonderfully made” in God’s image and likeness. Each one of our lives is a gift that needs to be shared by using our God-given talents for the good of each other. We are on life’s pilgrimage journey to Heaven and we can help each other to get there with a better understanding of where each one of us began. Moreover, we need to never forget to “welcome the stranger among us,” for it is Christ in Whom we are all united.

In addition to pastoral ministry, I also experienced quite a bit of fun of this past summer – I had the opportunity to make doughnuts (Ghanaian sweet rolls, or ‘bofrot’) at the annual Ghana Catholic Picnic! Overall, I thank God for forming me in the various ways He has and pray that all that I have learned carries on into the future. Not to make this a “thank-a-thon,” but I also want to thank all the various leaders of our ethnic communities in our diocese who assisted in all my visits. Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my supervisor, Corinne Monogue, Director of the Office of Multicultural Ministries for our Diocese, and Elizabeth Tauke, the Office of Multicultural Ministries’ Program Specialist. Under their wings and guidance, I was able to navigate my way around and through the various ethnic communities of our diocese. I have enjoyed contributing to this blog as it has helped me to reflect more deeply on all of my visits. Please pray for me as I return to Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland on August 18^th.  As I have stated before, I am headed into Third Theology. I look forward to learning more and being formed into the man Jesus Christ is calling me to be, so as to better serve all of you in our diocese as, God willing, a priest. May God bless each of you and may Our Lady’s mantel of protection never cease to safeguard you!

Hymns of Praise

By: Michael Folmar, Seminarian

On July 3, I attended Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria. St Joseph’s Catholic Church is founded through the Order of the Society of St. Joseph, the Josephites. The Joseph
ites are a religious community of Catholic priests and brothers, who serve the African-American community through the proclamation of the Gospel and their personal witness.When arriving at the Church, do not let the small size —which recently celebrated its centennial anniversary — trick you. Despite its stature, it is overflowing with Christ’s love.

This parish is full of parishioners ready to warmly greet and welcome you. Each month — on the first and third Sunday — the 11 a.m. Mass is filled with the sounds of their renowned Gospel choir. The amazing choir which gave glory and praise to God and left all who entered the Church with immediately have a sense of belonging. After Mass, I felt as if I was leaving a Church dear to my heart.  Thank you to Dcn. Albert Anderson, chairman of the Black Catholic Ministry of our Diocese, and to Fr. Donald Fest, S.S.J., pastor of St. Joseph, for welcoming me at their parish.

After attending Mass in Alexandria, I made another stop to partake in a Cameroonian Mass. This Mass is only held at 2:45 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Vienna. During the Mass, I found the Cameroonian tradition of the priest elevating the Host and Precious Blood at their respective times during the consecration, while singing a hymn of praise to our God to be truly edifying. A final thank you to Fr. William J. Metzger, O.S.F.S., as well as to all the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, who administer this parish and George Nformi, who coordinates this Mass. Overall, this past weekend proved to be one of strikingly beautiful music for our Lord.

Michael Folmar is a seminarian for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. This fall he will enter his third Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg. This summer, Michael is serving as an intern in the Office of Multicultural Ministries. Each week he attends a different Mass and writes about his experience at “United through Diversity: One in Christ”.  

Welcome Michael Folmar!!!

            Hello! I’m Michael Folmar and I am a seminarian for our great Diocese of Arlington. I will be headed into Third Theology at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, MD this coming August. This summer I am helping out in the Office of Multicultural Ministries for the diocese here. So, I have been given countless opportunities to visit all the various ethnic and cultural Catholic ministries (Hispanic, Filipino, African-American, Korean, Brazilian, Vietnamese, Ghanaian, Eritrean, Cameroon, and Asian and Pacific Islander) that make our diocese vibrantly shine. Ultimately, the office that I am in serves and unites these several ministries by evangelization, as well as by going out to them.

            This past weekend, I was blessed to be at St. Anthony’s in Falls Church (www.stanthonyparish.org). This parish has a very active Hispanic ministry that has captivated several people to come from all over the area – including Maryland. I cannot tell you how hospitable and welcoming everyone was to me. I am also learning Spanish this summer at St. Anthony’s and so have countless opportunities here to learn, as well as practice, it. I started off my endeavor with the Hispanic ministry here by going to Legion of Mary in Spanish on Saturday. It is always nice to see how much devotion and love people have for Our Lady and Jesus – and it sure was not lacking here. Afterwards, there was a Mass in Spanish, followed by two more Spanish Masses the following day. The most heavily attended Mass that filled up the Church was on Sunday at 1 pm. It was very edifying to see various families come here and make it a day at the Church. Many came well before Mass and stayed long after. It was a family event centered around Christ. La Iglesia de San Antonio (its name in Spanish) is a place of refuge and renewal in Christ for many families. Moreover, there is a true sense of community and belonging here.

            Well, I will be blogging from time to time throughout the summer about other ethnic and Catholic cultural ministries throughout the diocese. So check back here soon. Who knows, you might find out about a ministry that could catapult you closer to Christ. Keep in mind – ALL of the various places that I will be visiting are open to everyone. The more we understand one another, the more solidarity can take root and so bring about more intercultural communication to further build up Christ’s one universal Church. Until next time – ¡Adiós!

Phyllis L. Johnson receives the first Father Augustus Tolton & Mother Mary Lange Service Award!

This past November 2015, the Office of Multicultural Ministries partnered with the Black Catholic Ministries to hold an event entitled, Watering the Garden: Growing Vocations in the Black Catholic Family. Various speakers from across the U.S. came to speak at the event, including Bishop Joseph Perry of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Deacon A. Gerard Jordan, O. Praem., from Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, Pennsylvania, and Father Scott Woods, from the Archdiocese of Washington, and Sister Josita Colbert, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Cincinnati, Ohio.

All seven speakers came prepared to speak on a variety of topics relating to vocations within the Black Catholic Family, during this day-long conference. The day ended with our annual Unity Mass, celebrated by Bishop Perry, in which Catholics of African-American, Caribbean, and  African descent gather to celebrate their unity in the Catholic faith.

After Mass, we held a reception for all those who attended the Unity Mass. At the reception, we presented the Father Augustus Tolton & Mother Mary Lange Award to Mrs. Phyllis L. Johnson, the very first recipient of the award! While Phyllis was quite surprised, the onlookers were not. Phyllis received this award because of how she has excelled in service to not only the Black Catholic Community, but also to the Office of Multicultural Ministries. She is present at almost every event, and always comes with camera-in-hand, ready to take pictures and document the special moments that occur. She is constantly striving toward evangelization and discipleship and goes out of her way to help those in need. We were so thrilled to be able to present this award to such a deserving member of the Black Catholic Community. Congratulations, Phyllis!

Not only did this award receive attention throughout the Diocese of Arlington, but it also received national attention, as well! The National Black Catholic Congress got news of this award, and shared the story in a ‘Spotlight Article.’ Click here to view the article.

The Office of Multicultural Ministries plans on presenting the Father Augustus Tolton & Mother Mary Lange Award to a new recipient every year. This award is a great way to display our gratitude to those within the Black Catholic Community that consistently go above and beyond to not only help others within their community, but also at the Diocesan level. In the upcoming years, we will be asking those in the Black Catholic Community for nominations for this award. If you are interested in nominating someone to receive the Father Augustus Tolton & Mother Mary Lange Award, please click here to fill out the application.

Did you miss Watering the Garden: Growing Vocations in the Black Catholic Family? Click here to hear Bishop Joseph Perry’s Keynote or to listen to any of the talks by our many speakers throughout the day.

 

Reflection on Joint Conference 2015

Written by: Deacon Albert Anderson

Through Faith and Strength, Acknowledge the Past, Embrace the Present, Create the Future, this was the theme of Joint Conference 2015. The conference, which took place in Charleston, S.C. from July 26-30, was a gathering of the National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC); National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC); National Association of Black Catholic Deacons (NAB CD); and the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association (NBCSA).

There were several Conference sessions focused on how to create a better future. One approach was to list and examine the cultural strengths of the Black Catholic community. Those listed included:

• Strong Kinship Bonds
• Strong Work Ethic
• Orientation Toward High Achievement
• Emphasis on Religion/Church
• Emphasis on Education
• Racial Pride
• Resourcefulness

Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church

Attendees at each table were tasked with sharing examples in their own families, past and present, of the above qualities. We were then asked to strategize on how to best nurture those qualities in our home towns. A future conference will discuss the results of those strategies and measure the success of their implementation.

Conference attendees also had the great privilege of praying inside Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, where nine of our sisters and brothers in Christ were murdered during a Bible Study class on June 17, 2015. They were: The Honorable Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41 (Lead Pastor), Depayne Middleton Doctor, 49, Ethel Lance, 70, Susie Jackson, 87, Cynthia Hurd, 54, Tywanza Sanders, 26, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 49, Myra Thompson, 59, Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74.

Because our sisters and brothers at Mother Emmanuel had been fed by the Word of God, the church members left to mourn the dead were able to forgive their killer, to feed him the forgiveness with which the Giver of Life feeds us all. Hopefully, by God’s grace we will never have to personally experience a tragedy of the scale of our sisters and brothers in Charleston, but there is a lesson to be learned here!

Mass at Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church

The 2016 Joint Conference will be held in San Diego, CA… stay tuned!

Recap: First Annual Multicultural Choral Concert

Photo taken by Mr. Tuyen and Mr. Thao

This past April, the Office of Multicultural Ministries held its first annual Multicultural Choral Concert! Hosted by Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA, the concert featured various choirs throughout our Diocese from all different cultures. The participating choirs were as follows: Filipino Serenata Choir from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Ghana Catholic Community Choir from Queen of Apostles Parish, Heartsongs: Tam Tinh Ca, Hispanic Charismatic Choir from Good Shepherd Parish, Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Combined Choir, St. Joseph Gospel Choir, and St. Paul Chung Korean Choir.

Photo taken by Mrs. Phyllis L. Johnson

Each choir performed at least two songs, including the Finale song, Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker, which was sung collaboratively by all of the choirs. The entire concert was a beautiful event, showcasing just a few of the many ethnic cultures that are so prevalent in the Diocese of Arlington. The Bishop Ireton students were very involved with the concert, as well – students whose cultural diversity represented each of the performing choirs would introduce a choir before they took the stage. This was the first time our office directly collaborated with Bishop Ireton High School, and it was a major success! Bishop Ireton has already started to plan for the second annual Multicultural Choral Concert in their state-of-the-art auditorium for April 2016. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Photo taken by Mr. Tuyen and Mr. Thao

To view some footage of this year’s Multicultural Choral Concert, watch the video below, filmed by Mr. Ed Jones of the Black Catholic Community.

The Office of Multicultural Ministries Takes On the March for Life!

The Office of Multicultural Ministries joined the hundreds of thousands of protesters who marched on the streets of Washington, D.C. on January 22, for the annual “March for Life” pro-life event. March for Life is held annually around January 22, the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in the United States. Thus, the March for Life unites protesters and advocates from all over the country in a fight to defend human life, making it the biggest and most popular pro-life event in the U.S.

But the March, itself, is not the only event held in honor of the nearly 56 million abortions that have occurred since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973[1]. Various Masses and rallies are held in the days leading up to the March, including Masses at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Verizon Center. Our diocesan office of Youth Ministry, held two (HUGE) Life is Very Good pre-events at George Mason University’s Patriot Center, which both were sold-out events (seating 10,000 people – mostly youth) in preparation for the March. These Life is Very Good events are the hottest ticket in town, are a must attend, and tickets sell out quickly. Check out our Youth Ministry Life is Very Good Video: 

 

But the March, itself, ultimately brought out the largest number of people – from babies to the elderly, and of many cultures and races. As Jeanne Monahan-Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, claimed, “We have come to represent the unborn that cannot speak for themselves. We have come to celebrate life… We have come to tell the world that abortion is evil and destroys innocent lives. It has to stop.” [2]

While our Office participated in the March for Life, so did many of our Ministries! We found Phyllis Johnson and Michele Jones from the Black Catholic Ministry, who also came along with Deacon Al Anderson and his wife, Beverly. Many from our Vietnamese Catholic Communities came out to march, as well, including Lieu Nguyen and Liem Le. We were incredibly lucky to see as many friendly faces as we did, and to have such beautiful weather.

The Office of Multicultural Ministries with Phyllis Johnson and Michele Jones.

 

Deacon Al and Beverly Anderson at the March for Life.

 

Lieu Nguyen and other pro-life advocates in front of the Supreme Court Building

 

We would love to capture more of our diocesan Multicultural diversity at the 2016 March for Life. Mark your calendars and join us next year as we continue to defend life from conception to natural death.

Sources:

[1] http://www.lifenews.com/2014/01/12/56662169-abortions-in-america-since-roe-vs-wade-in-1973/

[2] http://panampost.com/adriana-peralta/2015/01/26/anti-abortion-march-for-life-rallies-200000-in-dc/

Prison Ministry: Journey to Serenity

Written by: KaIyah Allison

Praise the Lord my sisters and brothers for we serve a God full of Mercy and Grace! My name is KaIyah Allison. I have been blessed and humbled to have a Prison Ministry since October 2007. God spoke to me and out of obedience I answered the call. Each time I go to the women’s prison division I am overjoyed! The women have received me with open hearts. I often tell them what a blessing they are to me. During our time together we have praise and worship, readings from the word of God and time for sharing what’s on your heart, whether it be a testimony of God’s goodness in their life or just to have someone to listen to them and encourage them. The women are my sisters and I am grateful to God for choosing me for such a ministry as this! I always tell my sisters this is a journey we will take together. It’s such a powerful thing to see God move in a mighty way while we are together. There have been many occasions where my sisters come in and you can instantly feel the heaviness in the room, but as we begin to worship The Lord moves and lightens the heavy burdens they came in with. To hear them say, “Thank you for coming, I am so glad you came!” I give God All the Glory, it’s by his power alone that together we can bind up every chain the enemy tries to put us in.

It is my purpose in life to continue to uplift my sisters while they are in their “cocoon stage,” I like to call it, because they are safe and God is rebuilding them. I look forward to seeing them on the outside so we can continue to build God’s Kingdom and give the enemy a Headache!!

God bless and keep you,
KaIyah Allison