The Archdiocese of Newark will host its annual Bishop Francis Scholarship Brunch this fall, fundraising to support graduating high schoolers headed to higher education or trade school.
The event, organized by the African American, African and Caribbean Apostolate, will take place at noon on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Chandelier Restaurant in Bayonne, New Jersey, where young Black Catholics will also be honored for their service in the community.
“We have altar server stipends for the parish altar servers as well as honorary awards for community work done by young adults,” Rahsaan Garlin, associate director of the AAACA, told BCM.
The scholarship brunch is named for the late Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Francis, SVD, who served from 1976 to 1995 as the first and, to date, only Black prelate in the history of the Newark Archdiocese. He was a noted educator, Civil Rights leader, and one of the American Church’s early episcopal voices on the issue of racism.
Francis helped found the AAACA (then known as the Office of Black Catholics) in the 1970s and was a major supporter of its work throughout his ministry. Francis died in 1997 and the AAACA’s Bishop Francis Awards Luncheon was founded in his honor in 2008.
The apostolate began awarding $1,000 scholarships to high school students from low-income and single-parent families in 2011, with the amount increasing over the years since. The Bishop Francis Scholarship Fund has been recently noted as supporting roughly 100 students each year, including with education-adjacent expenses and spiritual formation.
“These young individuals are preparing to take the next step in their educational journey—whether at college, university or trade school, but many face financial barriers that threaten to limit their opportunities,” reads a sponsorship appeal from Garlin.
“Together, we can continue the legacy of Bishop Joseph A. Francis by opening doors to education, hope, and a brighter tomorrow and leveling the playing field.”
Newark is home to a number of predominantly Black parishes with representation from across the diaspora. The larger community, whose poverty rate sits at around 25%—more than double the national average—also has a significant Black population.
The AAACA scholarship fundraiser, which aims to address some of the disparities, has in recent years taken place during November for Black Catholic History Month. This year’s event will fall on the Sunday nearest to Francis’ birthday, Sept. 30, and also comes during the month of the 28th anniversary of his death (Sept. 1).
Garlin notes that the AAACA is seeking sponsors for the scholarship brunch, with opportunities for donors to support specific graduates, be featured in the apostolate’s annual Imani Magazine, and support students to attend the brunch itself. Attendees from the general public are asked to make a $100 donation.
Those interested in one of the various sponsorship opportunities, or purchasing tickets for the brunch, can contact Garlin for more information at (201) 978-6882 or rahsaan.garlin@rcan.org.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
