"Go Tell It"

The Office of Black Catholic Ministry
Diocese of Charleston website
PO Box 5734* Columbia, SC 29250* 803.933.9007* cfb@scsn.net

How do Black Catholics bring their gifts, their leadership, and their talent to their parishes and to our Diocese?

How do we as Catholics express our values about racism and race relations to our families and our communities?

What are our ideas for supporting and nurturing Black Catholic youth?

What are our tools for reaching out to communities surrounding our church? How well are we responding to their needs?

Catholics in the Diocese of Charleston have been addressing issues like these for many years. All over the country, people in the pews are reflecting with priests, sisters and brothers on Bishop 's documents such as, What Have We Seen and Heard, Brothers and Sisters to Us , and finding their own local responses. Such conversations are as relevant ro Catholics in Africa, Europe and the Caribbean as they are to those of us in this country. That tradition of concern has been advanced through the efforts of the Black Catholic Caucus, resulting in the formatiion of the Officce of Black Ministry for the Diocese of Charleston.

On Saturday, November 15th, parishes from throughout the Diocese attended our first statewide gathering. The meeting was an opportunity to celebrate our past efforts, but also an opprtunity to renew efforts to evangelize and support our communities. Catherine Flemming Bruce, Coordinator, encouraged participants to share their parish efforts, and to seek intersections between the vision of the OBCM, the goals of Enthusiasm for the Faith , and the wisdom of What We Have Seen and Heard. Our youth and our sisters were present, to ensure our future, and to provide us with wisdom and memory.

The office will soon announce its Mother of Africa advisory committee, and other plans for the year.

Email Catherine Flemming Bruce, Coordinator of Black Catholic Ministry