Category: African American

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The Gift of the African-American Catholic Tradition

February is African-American History Month.  Most of you who read here regularly know that I’ve spent most of my 28 years of priesthood ministering in African-American parishes here in Washington, D.C. (At right is a picture of our choir.)

In recent years, my own parish has become more racially and ethnically diverse, but we are still deeply rooted in the long African-American heritage here and we celebrate that in particular at our 11:00 AM Sunday Mass.  It is a heritage that retains deep roots in the sacred and draws richly upon the biblical norms of trust, liberation from sin, justice, and the lively experience of God’s immanent presence.

I would like to share a few of the things I have learned and experienced over the years, focusing primarily on the liturgical experience. Despite the inadequacy of my words in describing it, I hope that you will grasp the rich wisdom and sacred tradition that I have been privileged to experience. I do not claim that what I write here is true of every African-American Catholic nor that the values I describe below are wholly lacking elsewhere, but just that they are widely held in the community.

Expectation – Great expectations are brought to the liturgical moment. Most of my parishioners come to Mass expecting to be moved, changed, and transformed. It is expected that God, the Holy Spirit, will show up and that He will do great things. Prior to Mass there is an air of anticipation as the parishioners gather. Some call this “The Hum.” The expectation is palpable and parishioners both want and expect a deep experience of God. They look forward to the songs of praise that are about to be sung and are prayerfully expectant of a good sermon through which they will “get a word” from the Lord. There is little anxiety about time and there is no need to rush. This is God’s time and He is about to go to work.

All about God – Gospel music (traditional and modern) is a central facet of most African-American parishes, but a wide variety of music is sung, including spirituals, traditional hymns, and classical music. One of the glories of the musical repertoire in African-American parishes is that it is almost exclusively focused on God and what He is doing. I have remarked in the past that much modern music is far too focused on us, who we are, and what we are doing. Not so in the gospel music tradition, in which God is invariably the theme. In an anthropocentric time, this is a refreshing stream from which to draw. Regardless of your feelings about the style of gospel music, it is about God. One song says, “God is a good God, He is great God, He can do anything but fail.” Another song says, “God and God alone!” Yet another says, “God never fails!” Even when we mention ourselves it is only to remember God: “We’ve come this far by faith; Leaning on the Lord, trusting in his holy word, He’s never failed me yet!”

Primacy of Joy – A serene and joyful spirit is at the heart of African-American worship. The Church is a bride—not a widow—and God is good! Even in difficult times we ought to praise the Lord. Psalm 34 says, I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. An old African-American spiritual says, “Praise the Lord anyhow!”

Joy is manifested in many ways in African-American worship: clapping, stepping, and swaying during the singing, uplifted hands, spontaneous acclamations—even an occasional stamping of the foot!

It is a strange thing if a Catholic Mass looks less like a wedding than a funeral: sour faces and boredom. To be sure, people manifest piety in different ways. Even in African-American parishes not everyone is on his feet as the choir sings powerfully. However, it is right to manifest some glimmer of joy rather looking like we just sucked a lemon!

Joy is a great gift and it is present in abundance in African-American worship. St. Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say it, rejoice! Your graciousness should be known to all (Phil 4:4-5). A gospel song says, “Joy, Joy, God’s great joy. Joy, joy, down in my soul. Sweet, beautiful, soul saving joy, oh, joy, joy in my soul!”

Time – This is God’s time. Earthly time is largely suspended in the African-American experience of the Mass. Masses are often substantially longer than those at most Catholic parishes. At the African-American parishes where I have served, the “High Mass” lasts up to two hours.

In most Catholic parishes there is an unwritten rule that Mass should be between 45 minutes and an hour long, and sermons should be less than 10 minutes long. Some of the Masses here are an hour or less, but not the Gospel Mass, where time is more relaxed. It may be that the Holy Spirit inspires a soloist to take up the refrain of a song yet one more time. There’s often an expression that comes from the congregation: “Take your time,” or “Sing on!” This is God’s time and He will do what He will do.

Most African-American congregations are also famous for lingering after the service. Another expression comes to mind: “Take your time leaving.” Mass is one of the highlights of the week; why rush through it? Savor the moment. A song says, “We’re standing on holy ground.”

Creativity and Freedom in the Spirit – African-American Catholic worship is careful to follow the norms for Mass but exhibits an appreciation for creativity and for docility to the Holy Spirit. This is especially evident in music. It is rare that a soloist sings the notes of a song exactly as written. (The exception to this would be when classical music is sung). Rather, liberty is taken as the choir, soloists, organist, and director are all open to what and where the Spirit leads.

There is deep appreciation for this spontaneity; it is seen as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit interacting with the gifts in the community. A gospel song says, “Over my head, I hear music in the air. There must be a God somewhere!”  There is also a history to this that stretches back to slave times. Those who were enslaved enjoyed very little freedom, but on Sundays they would gather in secluded locations. They would often take up the hymns they had heard from the European tradition but adapt them. In so doing they expressed their freedom in the Lord. The spirituals, too, are remarkably creative, manifesting a genius of both word and song. They also admit of a wide variety of interpretations; different verses are swapped in and out at the will of the singers.

All of this creativity leads to a great expectation in the liturgy. Who knows what God will do? There are moments of great delight and a sense that this is all in God’s hands.

It also gives a different understanding to the presence of applause in the liturgy. Many rightly lament that in certain settings applause creates the notion of performance rather than worship, but in the African-American setting applause is an act of praise to God, thanking Him for this manifestation of the Spirit. This is made evident by the fact that the congregation most often applauds even after the songs that it sings together. This is not self-congratulation; it is an act of praise to God. The psalms say, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy (e.g., Ps 47).

The Preaching Moment – Sermons are typically longer in African-American Parishes. At the High Mass, the sermon is usually half an hour. The congregation has great expectations for the homily and there is a great interest in spending time with the Word of God. It is expected that the preacher will not only seek to inform the congregation but to celebrate the liberating reality of the Word that is proclaimed. The Word of God does not just inform, it performs and transforms. The preacher is invited and expected not just to preach the “what,” but also the “so what” and the “now what.”  

These expectations have challenged me over the years to be aware of the majesty of God’s Word, to look deeper into its meaning, and to experience its truth and reality in my life. Only then can I really preach with the power and authority that God’s Word deserves.

With more time, there is the luxury of really digging into a passage and analyzing all the lines. Many of you who read this blog have read my Sunday Sermon outlines and note that I usually break open the whole text rather than just draw out one thought or idea and preach that. The longer format permits the preacher to examine the steps often set forth by a gospel passage and to follow the passage line by line. This is a great luxury for me.

I am not alone in the preaching moment. One of the glories of the African-American preaching tradition is that the congregation has a central role in the preaching moment. It begins with their expectation. I know that they are praying for me and are supporting me as I begin. They really want to hear a word and spend some time with it. This is a moment to be savored. 

The priest or deacon will often engage the congregation by taking up the tradition of “call-response,” wherein he elicits a familiar response from the congregation and invites acclamations: “Somebody say, Amen.” “Amen” “Is there a witness in this house?” In this way he builds on the theme and involves the congregation.

The congregation also takes a role in crafting the homily moment through spontaneous acclamations: “Amen!” “Go on, preacher!” Help him, Lord.” “Make it plain, preacher!” There can be spontaneous applause and shouts as well as laughter and even some oohs and aahs.

Jesus is Here Right Now – In African-American Catholic worship there is a profound sense of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in every liturgy. Most traditional Anglo-Saxon Catholics prefer to express their faith in the true presence through silent adoration, bowed heads, and folded hands. The African-American tradition, though not excluding such forms, expresses this faith through exuberant joy in the Lord’s presence and cultivates a celebratory experience that this is holy ground, that this is the Lord’s house and He is here. Songs during Communion include texts that acknowledge this in more experiential and immanent than theological and transcendent ways. There are songs with words such as these: Jesus is here right now, I received the Living God and my heart is filled with joy, Now behold the Lamb, Taste and see the goodness of the Lord! Come now and feed our weary souls.

Permission – To think that every African-American likes only gospel music, wants to shout out during homilies, and gets excited at Mass, is to stereotype. There is a whole range of personalities expressed and experienced at Mass. Some people are exuberant and expressive, others quiet and reserved. A wide variety of preferences and liturgical expressions exist.

What makes African-American worship diverse and expressive is the concept of permission. Not everyone is required to clap rhythmically at songs, but there is the permission to do so. Not everyone responds during homilies but one may. Not everyone gets to his feet as the choir sings powerfully, but there is permission to do so. There is a wonderful combination of permission without pressure.

Trust – A key theme of African-American culture is trust in God. This has come not only from a long history of oppression but also from the experience that “God can make a way out of no way” and “do anything but fail.” Gospel music and the spirituals are replete with calls to a trusting and confident faith. Here are some examples from various songs: “God never fails.” “Blessed Assurance!” “Victory is mine.” “Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say It is well with my soul, it is well.” “Joy comes in the morning; troubles don’t last always.” “He may not come when you want him, but he’s always on time.”

These songs of trust and assurance were very important for me in my 35th year of life when I suffered a nervous breakdown and slipped into a major depression, complete with anxiety attacks. This parish literally helped to sing me back to health.

Sober about Sin and Confident of Grace to Overcome – Good, solid, biblical preaching is appreciated in the African-American tradition. It is understood that the Lord has a lot to say about sin that is plain and unambiguous.

There is also a legacy of gospel music and spirituals that speaks frankly but creatively about sin and its relation to redemption. Here are some excerpts from songs: “I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in.” “I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry and from the water lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.” “I would not be a sinner; I’ll tell you the reason why. I’m afraid my Lord might call my name and I wouldn’t be ready to die.” “Satan wears a hypocrite’s shoe. If you don’t watch he’ll slip it on you.” “Some go to church for to sing and shout, before six months they’s all tuned out.” “Where shall I be when the last trumpet sounds?” “Sign me up for the Christian jubilee, write my name on the roll. I want to be ready when Jesus comes.” “I’ve got to fast and pray, stay in his narrow way, keep my life clean each and every day. I want to go with him when he comes back, I come too far and I’ll never turn back!”

So sin is real but so is grace to liberate us. One song says, “I’m not what I want to be but I’m not what I used to be, a wonderful change has come over me.”

These are just a few of the many lessons I have learned from my parishioners over the years. As you can see, African-American Catholics have important gifts to share with the wider Church. I want to be sure to express my gratitude for this gift of culture and tradition and for the gift that every parishioner has been to me. I have learned far more than I have ever preached. I have come to know by experience that encountering Christ does not just happen from the priest to the faithful, but also from the faithful to the priest. We observed the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. last month. Birthdays celebrate the gift of human life and the gift of each human person. I have much to celebrate.

I realize that not everyone prefers the relaxed exuberance described here; some are more partial to quieter and more traditional forms. I have celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass for almost 30 years and appreciate its beauty as well. Today the Church allows greater diversity; what I set forth here, at the beginning of African-American History month, is that I have been blessed and enriched in this tradition, as I have in others. May God be praised.

 

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On the Feast of All Saints, a Pastoral Letter on Racism Reminds Us of the Communion of the Saints

On the Feast of All Saints we celebrate men and women of every place and time who lived with great sanctity. Many of them are known to us and are among our great heroes of the Faith; even more are unknown to us.

The most common hymn for this feast day is “For All the Saints.” It is interesting that the name of the tune to which the lyrics are set is “Sine Nomine” (without name). In other words, this feast celebrates those who, although they attained great sanctity, are largely unknown to us. They lived in ordinary circumstances and were fairly hidden from the world at large, but God knows them and has awarded them the crown of righteousness. They, too, are part of the rich tapestry of this feast and the glory of the Communion of Saints.

It is fitting, then, that on the Feast of All Saints, Donald Cardinal Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington released a pastoral letter on racism entitled, “The Challenge of Racism Today.” We are all well aware of recent racial tensions in our country and the Cardinal would have us reflect on this problem as Catholics. This reflection should come from the perspective of our faith more so than from politics and worldly culture.

I’d like to review a number of the Cardinal’s teachings under three headings.

I. God’s Vision – Cardinal Wuerl begins by noting our daily experience here in the Archdiocese of Washington:

The sight from the sanctuary of many a church in our archdiocese offers a glimpse of the face of the world.

Indeed, our parishes are ethnically and racially diverse. The rich beauty of diversity in the unity of our faith is manifest everywhere.

“Catholic” means universal and it could not be more obvious in Washington, D.C. as it is in many other regions. Catholics come from everywhere!

This diversity is from God Himself, who has not only created the rich tapestry of humankind but also delights in uniting us all in His Church.

Babylon and Egypt I will count among those who know me; Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, these will be her children and Zion shall be called “Mother” for all shall be her children.” It is he, the Lord Most High, who gives each his place. In his register of peoples he writes: “These are her children,” and while they dance they will sing: “In you all find their home.” (Psalm 87:1-7)

It was always God’s plan that people from every nation would find their home in His family. St. Paul spoke eloquently of this plan:

The mystery was made known to me by revelation;…. the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the people of other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. And the mystery is this: that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:3-6)

By God’s grace, by His plan and vision, we are called to be members of the One Body, the Church, through the grace of shared faith.

Jesus sets forth the realization of God’s desire in his great commission: Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20).

This is order number one from Jesus: Go everywhere; call everyone; make them disciples by teaching them what I have taught and baptizing them into the one Body of Christ, the Church.

This is God’s vision, His plan, and His command.

II. Sinful Revisions – We human beings are often slow to hear and even slower to do what God commands. When it comes to reaching across racial and ethnic boundaries to make disciples, we often give in to fear and the hostilities that result. We also give in to pride and notions of racial superiority. This has been an ugly tendency throughout human history.

As people of faith, we cannot ignore God’s command to include all in His Kingdom. The Cardinal tells us that we must confront and overcome racism. This challenge is not optional.

Jesus warns us against wrathful disparagement of others: Anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” will be subject to the Sanhedrin. And anyone who says, “You fool!” will be subject to the fire of hell (Matt 5:22). He counsels us, So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift (Matt 5:23-24).

The Cardinal cites the Catechism and bids us to remember this:

This teaching is applied to our day with clarity in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone …” (CCC # 357). … There is no basis to sustain that some are made more in the image of God than others.

Cardinal Wuerl cites the pastoral letter, “Brothers and Sisters to Us,” published by the United States bishops in 1979: 

Racism is a sin. … [I]t divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.

We have no right or capacity to overrule God or reject the dignity He Himself has established. The Cardinal describes racism as a denial of the goodness of creation.

While some dispute the particulars of racism in this or that specific situation, we cannot simply brush aside the consistent experience of so many of our brothers and sisters. The Cardinal reminds us:

To address racism, we need to recognize two things: that it exists in a variety of forms, some more subtle and others more obvious; and that there is something we can do about it… even if we realize that what we say and the steps we take will not result in an immediate solution to a problem that spans generations.

As we are reminded by St. Paul, There should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one member suffers, every member suffers with him (1 Cor 12:25-26).

As a Church we have not always lived up to the call that God has given us. The Cardinal writes:

Saint John Paul II in the Great Jubilee Year asked for the recognition of sins committed by members of the Church during its history. He called for a reconciliation through recalling the faults of the past in a spirit of prayerful repentance that leads to healing of the wounds of sin. So acknowledging our sins and seeking to remedy what we can, we turn with sorrow to those we have offended, individually and collectively and also express gratitude for the tenacity of their faith…. We also recognize the enduring faith of immigrants who have not always felt welcome in the communities they now call home.

It is a remarkable testimony that so many who have felt spurned by fellow Christians and Catholics did not reject the faith, but tenaciously held on to it. Even in the midst of great pain, so many stayed in the faith; through forgiveness and great patience they have helped to purify fellow Christians and work for ongoing reform within the Church.

III. Overcoming Divisions – The Cardinal also writes:

Because God has reconciled us to himself through Christ, we have received the ministry of reconciliation. Saint Paul tells us, “God has reconciled the world to himself in Christ … entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Thus the Cardinal invokes a key dimension of the apostolic office: reconciling us to one another and to God. As a bishop, Cardinal Wuerl urges us to seek reconciliation where it is needed.

Reconciliation requires first that we acknowledge our sins. As Jesus says, we must go and be reconciled to our brother or sister. If we have in any way fostered division, if we have scorned, mocked, excluded, or derided others, we should admit the sin and seek to be reconciled.

While there are often grievances on all sides when it comes to race, this need not stop us from hearing and pondering the consistent and widespread experience of those who feel excluded or scorned. Sometimes it just starts with listening, before rushing to judge whether the experience of others is valid.

There are wounds that go back decades and even centuries. Reconciliation takes time. Recognizing another’s pain and experience is an act of respect. Listening is a very great gift.

Please consider making a careful, spiritual reading of the Cardinal’s pastoral letter. See it as an honest assessment of our need to recognize racism and repent for any cooperation we have had in it, past or present. Consider, too, his call for us to entrust our hearts to the Lord, so that we can, as the Cardinal says, envision the new city of God, not built by human hands, but by the love of God poured out in Jesus Christ.

In the weeks ahead, other initiatives and gatherings will be announced in the diocese. Among them is a recognition of the many African-Americans who were enslaved and who were buried in our Catholic cemeteries without any headstones or markers. You might say that they were buried sine nomine, without any recognition of their names.

It is fitting, then, that on this Feast of All Saints, when we acknowledge the many saints whose names we do not know, that we also remember those buried in our cemeteries whose names are known only to God. They were called slaves but were in fact God’s children, possessed of the freedom of Children of God. May they rest now with God in the peace and unity of the Communion of Saints.

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On Being African American and Catholic – Reflections by a Pastor on the Notre Dame Study

Most of you know that I have spent all but four of my years as a priest ministering in African American Parishes and that I am enthusiastic about my experiences. Like any pastoral setting, there are challenges, but there are also wonderful gifts. Chief among the gifts is the liturgical experience which is vibrant, life giving, joyful and filled with great expectation. There is support for the preacher, a great appreciation of musical gifts and an unmistakeable acknowledgment of the presence of the Lord in his Word and in Holy Communion. It has all been a wonderful blessing to me as a priest, and also as a Catholic and disciple of the Lord.

A study was recently published by Notre Dame and I’d like to offer a few excerpts of that study and comment on it. A full “executive summary” by William Gilroy is here: Notre Dame Survey of African American Catholics. As is usual with my commentaries, the original text is in Black, bold and italic typeface. My comments are in plain red text.

Among the key findings of the survey are:

On almost every measure of religious engagement, African American Catholics are considered stronger in their faith than white Catholics. For example, when asked how well their parish meets their spiritual needs, 78 percent of African American Catholics say their needs are being met, while 68.7 percent of white Catholics responded similarly. When asked if their parish meets their emotional needs, 75.7 percent of African American Catholics say their needs are being met, compared to 60.4 percent of white Catholics.

I generally think this is true. Black Catholics who attend Mass are generally very close knit to parish life at a variety of levels. Choirs are usually larger and well skilled, excited about what they do. Ushering is also a noble tradition. Women’s groups such as the Sodality are strong, to lesser but still clear extent, Men’s groups. Prayer groups are also strong since there is usually a strong “praying spirit” among African Americans.

“This finding also shows up among African American Catholics who attend predominantly black parishes,” Davis said. “A greater sense of community that comes from worshipping with others who share cultural heritage heightens religious engagement. Whatever forces are working against white Catholics’ religious identity and engagement were set in motion decades ago and those forces do not appear to be working against African American Catholics. Thus, it is quite possible that understanding African American Catholicity may inform us about the religious challenges of white Catholics. Too often we approach questions of religiosity in a vacuum. Comparable studies of religiosity are critical.”

Yes, here I strongly agree. Blacks, unlike most Whites,  share a kind of “sacred culture.” What I mean by this is that spirituals and Gospel Music permeate Black culture. It is also more common to freely express and inquire about religious matters. Sometimes I’ll be the store, and an African American will come up and, seeing my Roman Collar, inquire joyfully of me where my church is and also share something of their own background or church. It is not uncommon for some one to come to me ask that I pray, “right here, right now Father.” And so there we are, standing in the main aisle of Safeway praying together. Another may come to me and say, “Preacher! You got a word for me today?” It’s just a part of the culture. This is rare in the White communities where I grew up.

And this shared “sacred culture” finds a vibrant expression in the Mass in the form of Gospel music, joyful exuberance, call and response, lively interaction with the preaching though affirmations like “Amen!….Yes!….Go on preacher!…..Yes Lord!…..Hallelujah…….applause, a stomp, raised hands and so forth.

I think it is this shared sacred culture which has made the “New Mass” work so well in the African American setting. The traditional Latin Mass had a kind of “built in” culture and ethos, a certain music that was prescribed and so forth. But the new Mass stripped a lot of that away, and allowed the local culture to supply more. That of course works well only when there is a sacred culture to draw on.

White America had become largely secularized by 1970 and so the “culture” we ended up drawing on was questionable at best, a kind of Peter Paul and Mary folk sound, and a hat tip to the “protest songs” of the 1960s college crowd.

But in the Black community a sacred music and culture was ready at hand for Catholics to draw on, a music and ethos that powerfully and creatively lifts up God and praises his glory, sings of our “troubles,” but also describes how God brings us “through.” And in Gospel music, the focus is always on God rather than the “gathered community” so often emphasized in Catholic contemporary music.

There were also many other elements I have already mentioned (e.g. spontaneous acclamations) that made the “participatory” element in the New Mass an easy transition for African American Catholics.

This sacred culture was a time tested tradition in the Black community and, as a general rule, highly esteemed even by those less prone to shout “Amen.”

On the often-used measure of Church attendance, 48.2 percent of African-Americans attend church at least once per week, compared to only 30.4 percent of white Catholics. I am not so sure of this number. Anecdotally, I think it is closer to 30%, especially among younger African Americans, who are far less “churched” than their parents and Grandparents.

While there is generally high satisfaction with various aspects of Mass and church service, such as preaching, music, readings and prayers, Catholics’ (both white and African Americans) level of satisfaction with these aspects of Mass are noticeably lower than Protestants.

Yes, frankly, we in the Church have not done so well in training priests and deacons to minister well in the things valued most highly by African Americans.

Preaching is highly valued among Blacks, and they generally prefer a longer sermon than most Whites. However, more than time, the sermon moment that is preferred is one in which the preacher carefully breaks open the Word of God in a way that is enthusiastic, creative, informative and easily applied for the up coming week. Most African Americans don’t what to hear only the “what,” but also the “so what” and the “now what” of God’s Word.

But too many Catholic priests and deacons (to include African American priests and deacons) are trained in a methodology of “informative” and “discursive” preaching as a goal, more than “transformative” and “kerygmatic” (from the Greek κηρύσσω (kērússō), to cry or proclaim as a herald) preaching.

The “say it in seven” mentality, common in Catholic training, that prizes brevity over anything else is also not a helpful approach. It is quite difficult to preach a transformative homily, (wherein the Word is read, analyzed, organized, illustrated and applied), in seven minutes.

Hence African Americans are often less than satisfied with the Sunday sermons they hear from most Catholic priests and deacons, especially compared to what they hear in the Protestant settings they often have contact with. There are many good and exceptional preachers in Black Catholic parishes but they are less in abundance than they should be.

It is sad, since good preaching can be learned, but most preachers usually think their preaching is just fine, and they are not open to being taught. It is also a fact that Blacks are not the only ones who rate Catholic preaching poorly. Frankly most Catholics think Catholic preaching leaves a LOT to be desired.

But until we work at training better preachers, and until the Catholic faithful are more open to Masses with slightly longer homilies, it does not seem that much will change. The 7-10 homily that says everything, covers all the things we need to hear, applies them creatively and with inspiration is going to be hard to find. In my own parish, homilies at the main Sunday mass are usually closer to 30 minutes, and it is a great luxury affored to me so that I can develop the entire passage and celebrate it with the People of God.

I know as I write this that I’ll get the usual comments on this that a sermon doesn’t have to be long to be good. This many be “true” in limited instances and settings, but it is not usually true. To really develop something takes longer than 7 minutes and I have never attended a public lecture that was 7 minutes, or even 10 minutes. A half an hour is more the norm among the Protestant preachers who, frankly rate higher in their abilities to preach effectively as a general rule.

The celebration “style” of priests is also an important matter. African American congregations generally value a celebrant who is praiseful but not clownish. Wooden and monotone proclamation of the prayers, a refusal to even attempt to sing the mass parts,  and the look of the “frozen chosen” are not appreciated in most Black parishes. While some Catholics value a “somber” look as indicative of solemnity and prayerfulness, this is less the case among African Americans for whom piety is manifest in a more joyful and exuberant manner in the presence of God. It is not just the priest from whom this is expected or valued, but also the lectors and musicians.

African American Catholics see room for growth in the racial positions of the Catholic Church. A total of 36.6 percent are satisfied with the targeting of black vocations, 38.1 percent are satisfied with the Church’s emphasis on black saints, 39.9 percent are satisfied with promoting black bishops, 40.2 percent are satisfied with the Church’s support for issues like affirmative action, 44.2 percent are satisfied with the Church’s position on problems in Africa, and 45.1 percent are satisfied with the promotion of racial integration in the Church.

Not sure what to do with this information.

Black vocations are harder to come by since, frankly, the Black family, and especially the Black male are in crisis. There are many reasons for this, too long to explore here. But the fact is, in every ethnic and racial group, it takes strong and large families to produce vigorous vocations.

I know that this Archdiocese actively recruits Black vocations, so do I as a pastor. But the pool of “recruits” is smaller. Frankly many Black women have trouble finding a Black man to marry, only 37% of Black women have ever been married. Almost 1/3 of Black men are incarcerated, another 1/3 are unemployed. There are many issues to be resolved.

And lest we single out the African American community, the Latino and also the White community are not far behind as the crisis of the family becomes an American problem. Fewer and fewer of ALL Americans are raised in a traditional family.  And all this is making it harder to find priests and help them stay priests, when broken homes are more and more the norm, from which we must seek vocations.

As for the other matters, I do not think numbers like these are unique to African Americans. Any number of groups and interests think the Church “isn’t doing enough” in some or many areas. I suppose we don’t do enough to promote the collection for the Church in Latin America or Eastern Europe either. The fact is, the Church in America is rather parochial and a collection of interests, and its hard to satisfy any one group well. I work with many Traditional Catholics who don’t think the Church does enough to promote the Traditional Latin Mass. I have also worked with the Neocatechumenal Way who don’t think there are enough communities of “The Way,” and so on. So I think this is a human problem. In the end it is up to members of various charisms and groups to promote themselves and stop waiting for “the Church” to do this work. They are the Church too.

The survey also uncovered notable national demographic trends that are evident within religious denominations that have great consequences for the future Church.

A total of 52.6 percent of African American Catholics and 53.3 percent of African American Protestants are at least 45 years-old, compared to 63.2 percent of white Catholics and 62 percent of white Protestants. There are also huge racial differences in the percentage that are married, reflecting another national trend. A total of 39.9 percent of African American Catholics are married, compared to 53.9 percent of white Catholics.

I have already noted these factors above. The African American parish has a slightly “younger” look than most White parishes. This is due to have slightly more children but also due to the higher mortality rates, especially among Black men who die significantly younger than the American norm. Further as we have noted, the problem with marriage and family is a growing concern. And, while the Black community has struggled with this problem a lot longer, the wider American family is also in trouble. Frankly it “ain’t no great shakes” that only 53% of Whites are married and it will be noted that 53 and 39 are only 14 points apart. These are numbers for all of us to sober about.

In the end, we see that, like any sector within the Church, African American Catholics have glories and struggles, gifts and needs. I personally think that, liturgically, there are tremendous gifts in the African American community and that the wider Church can learn much from the liturgical experience and practices on regular display at predominantly African American parishes. Joy, high expectation, participation, a focus on God, and experience of the powerful presence of God in Communion are things that should be evident in every Catholic parish. Too many Catholic parishes look more like a widow than a bride, and the “wedding feast of the Lamb” is perfunctory and minimalistic more than loving and generous. Brevity seems more the concern than worship, and the encounter with a living and true God.  This is far less the case the predominantly African American parishes, and there is much for the wider Church to learn.

And, frankly, there are internal problems in the African American community that largely Black parishes need to do a better job of addressing. The decline in marriage, the rise in single motherhood, high abortion rates and other social problems need to be frankly addressed and turned back. Like any social difficulty, many of these trends go back to the early 1960s and are going to take time to reverse. But work at them we must.

Joys and struggles, gifts and needs, the human story.

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The Gift of the African American Catholic Tradition

Most of you who read here regularly know that I’ve spent most of my 22 years of priesthood ministering in the African American Parishes here in Washington DC. (Here’s a picture of our choir on the right). On this holiday in which we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, I want to say that I have received rich blessing from the heritage of African Americans whose culture still retains deep roots in the sacred, and in draws richly upon biblical norms of trust, liberation from sin, justice and most importantly, the lively experience of God’s immanent presence.

I would like to share a few of the things I have learned and experienced over the years. I will focus primarily with the liturgical experience. I can only say a little about each point but hope. Even still this is a long post, perhaps the holiday will permit you more time to read it. Despite the inadequacy of my words, I hope that you will grasp the rich wisdom and sacred tradition that I have been privileged to experience. I do not claim that what I share is true of every African American Catholic, for they are not a monolith and there is appreciation of numerous liturgical traditions. But collectively, as a community, these are widely shared values.

1. Expectation – Great expectations are brought to the liturgical moment. Most of my parishioners come to Mass expecting to be moved, changed, and transformed. It is expected that God, the Holy Spirit, will show up and that He will do great and wonderful things. Prior to Mass there is an air of anticipation as the parishioners gather. Some call this “The Hum.” The expectation is palpable, and parishioners both want and expect a deep experience of God. They look forward to the songs of praise that are about to be sung, and are prayerfully expectant of a good sermon where they will “get a word” from the Lord. As we shall see, there is little anxiety about time or the need to rush and hurry. This is God’s time and He is about to go to work.

2. All about God – Gospel music is a central facet of most African American parishes. Yet, to be clear, a wide variety of music is sung in most such parishes to include: spirituals, traditional hymns, classical music, and both traditional and modern Gospel music. One of the glories of musical repertoire of the African American Parishes is that it is almost exclusively focused on God and what He is doing. We have remarked here before how much modern Catholic music is far too focused on us, who we are, and what we are doing. Not so in the gospel music tradition where God is invariably the theme. In an anthropocentric time, this is a refreshing stream from which to draw. You may have whatever feelings you have about the style of Gospel music, but the bottom line is that it is about God. One song says, God is a good God, he is great God, he can do anything but fail. Another says, God and God alone! Another songs says, God never fails! And on and on. Even when we mention ourselves it is only to remember God: We’ve come this far by faith, Leaning on the Lord, trusting in his holy word, He’s never failed me yet!

3. The Primacy of Joy – A serene and joyful spirit is at the heart of African American worship. The Church is a bride, not a widow and God is good! Even in difficult times we ought to praise the Lord. Psalm 34 says, I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth. An old African American says goes:  Praise the Lord anyhow!

Joy is manifest in many ways in African American Worship: clapping during the singing, stepping and swaying, uplifted hands, spontaneous acclamations, even an occasional stamping of the foot!

It is a strange thing to look at some Catholic Masses see what appears to be more a funeral than a wedding. Sour faced saints and bored believers. Now, to be sure, people manifest piety in different ways. Even in the African American parishes not everyone is on their feet as the choir sings powerfully. But in the end we ought to manifest some glimmer of joy rather than to look like we’ve just sucked a lemon.

Joy is a great gift and it is present in abundance in African American worship. St. Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say it, rejoice! Your graciousness should be known to all (Phil 4:4-5). A gospel song says, Joy, Joy, God’s great joy. Joy, joy, down in my soul. Sweet, beautiful, soul saving joy, oh, joy, joy in my soul!

4. Time – This is God’s time. Earthly time is largely suspended in the African American experience of the Mass. Masses often go substantially longer than the average Catholic parish. At the African American parishes where I have served, the “High Mass” usually goes two hours. Even the Low masses run at about an hour and fifteen minutes.

In most typical and suburban Catholic parishes there is a rule that Mass is to go 45 minutes to an hour. If things start to run long there are nervous, even angry glances at watches and the like. Sermons are to be 7 to 10 minutes. Further, many take communion and go right out the door.

Not so in the African American parishes where the notion of time is more relaxed. It may be that the Holy Spirit puts it on a soloist to take up the refrain of a song yet one more time. There’s often an expression that comes from the congregation: “Take your time,” or “sing on!” This is God’s time and He will do what He will do.

Most African American congregations are also famous for lingering after the service. Here too another expression comes to mind: Take your time leaving. In the end, Mass is one of the highlights of the week. Why rush through it? Savor the moment. A song says, We’re standing on holy ground.

5. Creativity and freedom in the Spirit: African American Catholic Worship is careful to follow the norms for Mass but exhibits an appreciation for creativity and docility to the Holy Spirit. This is especially evident in music. It is rare that a soloist sings the notes of a song exactly as written. (The exception to this would be when classical music is Sung). Rather, liberty is taken as the choir, soloists, the organist, and director are all open to what and where the Spirit leads.

There is deep appreciation for this spontaneity and it is seen as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit interacting with the gifts in the community. A gospel song says, Over my head, I hear music in the air, There must be a God somewhere!  This is also a history to this which stretches back to slave times. Those who were enslaved enjoyed very little freedom. But on Sundays they would gather in hush harbors and secluded locations. They would often take up the hymns they had heard from the European tradition but adapt them. In so doing they expressed their freedom in the Lord. The spirituals too are remarkably creative, manifesting a genius of both word and song. They also admit of a wide variety of interpretations and different verses are swapped in and out at the will of the singers.

All of this creativity leads to a great pregnancy and expectation in the liturgy. Who knows what God will do? There are moments of great delight and a sense that this is all in God’s hand.

It also gives a different understanding to the presence of applause in the liturgy. Many rightly lament that, in certain settings, applause creates the notion of performance rather than worship. But in the African American setting applause is an act of praise to God, thanking him for this manifestation of the Spirit. This is made evident by the fact that the congregation most often applauds even after the songs that it sings together. This is not a self-congratulation but is an act of praise to God. The psalms say, Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy(eg Ps 47)

6. The Preaching moment – Sermons are usually longer in the African American Parishes. At the High Mass the sermon is usually one half an hour. There is great expectation on the part of the congregation in terms of the homily and a great interest in spending time with the Word of God. It is expected that the preacher will not only seek to inform the congregation but celebrate the liberating reality of the Word that is proclaimed. The word of God does not just inform, it performs and it transforms. The preacher is invited, and expected, not just to preach the “what,” but also the “so what,”  and the “now what.”

These expectations have surely challenged me over the years to be powerfully aware of the majesty of God’s word and to look deeper into its meaning and experience its truthand reality in my life. Only then can I really preach with the power and authority that God’s Word deserves. In order to preach with authority, I have to know the author.

There is also, with more time,  the luxury to really dig into a passage and analyze all the lines. Many of you who read this blog have read my Sunday Sermon outlines and note that I usually break open the whole text rather than just draw a thought or idea and preach that. The longer format permits the preacher to examine the stages and steps often set forth by a gospel passage and following the passage line by line. This is a great luxury for me that most of my brother priests don’t have.

And I am not alone in the preaching moment. One of the glories of the African American preaching tradition is that the congregation has a central role in the preaching moment. It begins with their expectation. I know that they are praying and supportive of me as I begin. They really want to hear a word and spend some time with it.  There is very little of the tense, looking at the watch, “let’s get thing over with”  attitude that is sometimes manifest in Catholic parishes. This is a moment to be savored.

Then too, those well schooled in the tradition know how engage the congregation explicitly in the preaching moment. The priest or deacon will do this by taking up the tradition of “call-response” wherein he calls forth a familiar response from the congregation and invites acclamations: Somebody say Amen… Amen! Is there a witness in this house? God is good!….All the time!  The preacher might also build a litany and invite response. Perhaps he will announce: Just say “I’ll rise!” And then begin: Trials and Troubles? (I’ll rise!) Sufferings and Setbacks? (I’ll rise), dangers and difficulties (I’ll rise!).  And so he builds on the theme and includes the congregation.

The congregation too takes its rightful role in crafting the homily moment through spontaneous acclamations: Amen!…Well?!….Go on preacher!….Help him Lord….Make it plain preacher! And so forth. Likewise there can be spontaneous applause and shouts as well as laughter and even some oos and ahhs.

7. Jesus is here right now – There is a profound sense in African American Catholic Worship of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in every liturgy. Most traditional Anglo-Saxon Catholics prefer to express their faith in the true presence through silent adoration, bowed heads, and folded hands. But the African American tradition, though not excluding such forms, also expresses this faith through exuberant joy in the Lord’s presence and cultivates a celebratory experience that this is holy ground, that I am in the Lord’s house and that he is here. Songs at communion include texts that acknowledge this in more experiential an immanent than theological and transcendent. Songs like, Jesus is here right now, I received the Living God and my heart is filled with joy, Now behold the Lamb, Taste and see the goodness of the Lord!, Come now and feed our weary souls.

8. Permission – it is a stereotype to think that every African American likes only gospel music, wants to shout out at homilies and get excited at Mass. There is a whole range of personalities expressed and experienced at Mass. Some are happy and expressive, others quiet and reserved. A wide variety of preferences and liturgical expressions exist. At my parish we even have a monthly Traditional Latin Mass that is well attended followed by Eucharistic Adoration.

What makes African American worship diverse and expressive is the concept of permission. Not everyone is required to clap rhythmically at songs, but there is permission to do so. Not everyone is responsive during homilies but there is permission. Not everyone gets to their feet as the choir sings powerfully, but there is permission to do so. Hence there is a wonderful balance between permission but no pressure.

In some parishes I know, if someone started to get happy in the pew, the ushers would arrive before long and give the bum’s rush. Not so in the African American Parishes where permission exists for a wide variety of expression. This also allows God the Holy Spirit to be sovereign. Surely there are some limits, but the boundaries are broader and more gracious. A song says, There’s plenty good room in my Father’s Kingdom!

9. Trust – a key theme of the African American Culture is trust in God. This has come from a long history of oppression but also the experience that God can make a way out of no way and do anything but fail. Gospel music and the spirituals are replete with calls to a trusting and confident faith. One song says, God never fails. Another song says, Blessed Assurance!  Another says, Victory is mine.  Another says, Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say It is well with my soul, it is well.  Another says, Joy comes in the morning, troubles don’t last always. Another says,  He may not come when you want him, but he’s always on time. And on and on…..

These songs of trust and assurance were very important for me in my 35th year of life when I suffered a nervous breakdown and slipped into a major depression with anxiety attacks. This parish literally help sing me back to health.

10. Sober about sin, Confident of Grace to overcome – Some of my brother priests are surprised when they hear my homilies, and say to me that they could not get away with saying some of the things I do in their parishes. This is especially with frank discussion about sin. But good, solid, biblical preaching is appreciated in the African American Tradition and it is understood that the Lord has a lot to say about sin that is plain and unambiguous.

There is also a legacy of gospel music and the Spirituals which speaks frankly but creatively about sin and its relation to redemption. One song says,  I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in. Another says, I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry and from the water lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me. A spiritual says, I would not be a sinner, I’ll tell you the reason why. I’m afraid my Lord might call my name and I wouldn’t be ready to die. Another says, Satan wears a hypocrite’s shoe, If you don’t watch he’ll slip it on you. Another says,  Some go to church for to sing and shout, before six months they’s all tuned out., Another song says,  Where Shall I be when the last trumpet sounds? Another says, Sign me up for the Christian jubilee, write my name on the roll. I want to be ready when Jesus comes. Another song says, I’ve got to fast and pray, stay in his narrow way, keep my life clean each and every day. I want to go with him when he comes back, I come too far and I’ll never turn back !  So sin is real but so is grace to liberate us. A song says, I’m not what I want to be but I’m not what I used to be, a wonderful change has come over me.

These are just a few lessons I have learned from my parishioners over the years. African American Catholics have important gifts to share with the wider Church as you can see. On this Birthday Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I want to be sure to express my gratitude for the this gift of culture and tradition and for the gift that every parishioner has been to me. I have learned far more than I have ever preached and come to know by experience that encountering Christ does not just happen from the Priest to the faithful, but also from the faithful to the priest. Birthdays celebrate the gift of  human life and the gift of the human person. I have much to celebrate.

 Here are some videos from the tradition:

Here is a dramatic re-enactment of a sermon by Vernon Johns, a prophetic preacher in the black tradition from the early 1950s. Here he is trying to rouse a fearful congregation to stand up to lynching and police brutality that was taking place in Birmingham at that time. He paved the way for Dr. Martin Luther King who succeeded him as Pastor. Note in this clip how the spoken word gives way to the sung word. Preaching in the Black Church is always a shared effort.

Here’s a gospel song about trust:

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November is Black Catholic History Month

Time to reflect, learn and celebrate

In my school, we have a small display board dedicated to Black Catholic history. One of the items on the board is the biography of the Pope Victor I. Pope Victor I was the 14th Bishop of Rome and the first from Africa. In fact, there are three popes who are African, the other two being Pope Militiades who reigned from 311 to 314 A.D. and Pope Gelasius who reigned from 492 until 496 A.D. Out of all of the facts on this board, the fact that there have been Black Pontiffs seems to gain the most interest – and sometimes, disbelief.

Black Catholic History in the Archdiocese of Washington

I was blessed to grow up in the Archdiocese of Washington. We have had a strong and vibrant Black Catholic culture here for generations and thus, the  ethnicity of Pope Victor I is not incredible to me. We have parishes dating back to before the Civil War such as St. Augustine Roman Catholic Parish, which was founded in 1858. We have the examples of pioneering Black priests such as Rev. Patrick Healy, SJ (pictured above) who served as the president of Georgetown University from 1874 until 1882. Even the first Black permanent deacons where ordained for the Archdiocese of Washington as part of the inaugural class in early 1970’s. Growing up here, I knew that there had been Popes of African decent, parishes where our culture and style of worship is integrated into the Mass and priests, deacons and religious that continue to serve our community with passion and love.

More to come

For the next few posts, I hope to share some of these facts and stories with you. I may also share how these stories have helped me to celebrate the diversity of the Roman Catholic Church.