HOUSTON — “What is God asking us to do next?”
This question from Fr Kareem Smith could be said to have been the guiding question for the 2026 convocation of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. Held July 21-24, the event gathered 45 priests, permanent deacons and their wives, seminarians, and a religious brother this week for several days of fellowship and organizing in a time of great challenge for the Black community.
Under the theme “Dwelling Together as One,” the conference served as a return to form for the 58-year-old organization, which did not hold an annual meeting last year. Led by their president, Kareem Smith, a young priest from the Archdiocese of New York, the NBCCC has since worked to ensure that this year’s meeting in Texas would serve as a special encouragement for members, some of whom have wondered about the future of the group.
In his opening plenary address, Smith set the tone with a reflection on the 1984 pastoral letter “What We Have Seen and Heard” from the nation’s Black Catholic bishops, and on the mode of synodality that took shape in the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis.
“Evangelization today cannot simply mean inviting people back to what once was,” Smith declared, urging the caucus to transition from “maintenance to mission” and emphasizing the need for embodied work that goes beyond the written word.
“The Church has enough documents. What she needs are disciples who are willing to act.”
The convocation also served as a response of thanksgiving for timely gifts in the Black Catholic community, including its first new African-American bishop in nearly a decade. That prelate, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie III of Washington, was present for the gathering and celebrated its jubilee Mass on Thursday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, one of Houston’s Black parishes.
In his homily, Boxie spoke of the caucus—of which he is a board member—as a vital organ in the strengthening of Black Catholic parishes, families, and young leaders, including seminarians. He also referenced his own appointment as a bishop, calling it a welcome sign for the community and a reflection of Black Catholic perseverance and faith.
"This appointment represents all of you,” he said, echoing comments he made at his consecration Mass in Washington earlier this month.
“Your love of a church that we know hasn't always loved us back, that has often treated us as second-class citizens. But God tells us right now in this moment... I haven't abandoned you."
The Jubilee Mass has begun here in Houston for the 2026 convocation of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Boxie III of Washington. pic.twitter.com/SbwXjiuefZ
— Nate Tinner-Williams (@natemup) July 24, 2026
A cornerstone of the convocation was the presentation of the Black Catholic Flourishing Project, a national initiative in partnership with FADICA (Funders and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities). The project aims to strengthen Black Catholic institutions with investment and other support, led by a vision plan birthed from broad consultation with the community over the past several years.
One of the projects co-leads, the Resurrectionist priest Manuel Williams, and Fr Bryan Massinagle—one of the BCFP’s twelve central conversation partners—presented to the caucus on the next steps of the initiative, including publishing its findings publicly, presenting a budget proposal to funders, creating mini-grants, and establishing a Black Catholic donor-advised fund.
"Our constant challenge to ourselves was to reimagine what Black Catholic life might look like if it moved from a standpoint of mere survival to flourishing,” said Massingale.
“What does it take for Black Catholic life to not merely survive but to flourish? And what would it be if we simply didn't define ourselves by how others saw us, but by how we defined ourselves?”
During the jubilee Mass, the NBCCC presented its annual awards, bestowing its highest honor—the Father Joseph M. Davis Lifetime Achievement Award—on Fr Anthony Bozeman, who serves as vocation director for the Josephites.
Transitional deacon James Johnson IV, a Charlotte seminarian who was reelected this year as president of the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association, received the Father Clarence E. Williams Award, which honors exceptional leadership among those studying for the priesthood.
Several men were also honored as jubilarians, including Fr Howard Byrd, a Josephite who last year celebrated 50 years of priestly ministry. Fr Patrick Winbush was feted for his 25th year of vowed Benedictine life, while Bozeman was celebrated for 25 years as a priest. The Josephite priest Charles Andrus was honored in absentia for his 50th year of priestly service, which he marked this year.
In addition to the NBCSA, the National Association of Black Catholic Deacons held their board elections this year, electing former NBCCC president Mel Tardy as their new president, alongside a slate of board members.
In his homily for the closing Mass on Friday, Fr Smith spoke of the gathering as a much-needed reminder of Black Catholic fraternity in ministry and in friendship, even as NBCCC members face various kinds of stress and even spiritual dryness.
“Has the Lord, during these days together, broken up the hardened ground once again, so that his word can take root? Fruitful ministry always begins with a fruitful heart,” he said, encouraging his fellow ministers of various kinds to persevere, both for the sake of the Black Catholic community and for their own spiritual good.
“Don't give up on your calling. Don't give up on your people. Don't give up on your parish. Don't give up on your Church.”
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
