Sojourner Truth, Sister Thea, and the preaching of Black Catholic women
Tamika Royes suggests that Black Catholic women can help revive the Catholic Church—if only they are permitted to make full use of their gifts.
Longform
From the Congo to Kentucky: Catholic-led after-school program shows hope is alive in Lexington
Philip Manga helps lead an outreach serving mostly African immigrant children with an ethos informed by faith and a harrowing journey to America.
The color of confinement: Race, mental health, and the American illness
Harlan McCarthy explains the connections between anti-Black racism, mass incarceration, and the mental health crisis plaguing America.
Black Catholics in the United States: The 2024 data and what it means
Ali Mumbach analyzes recent national data to give a picture of the presence and perspectives of Black Catholics in the United States.
What hath Monteverdi to do with Motown? On castrati, R&B, and the fight for free expression
Alexander Walton on the European divos of old and Black heartthrobs of the present, both of whose musical abilities bring awe and aspersion.
The unsung heroine of 'One Battle After Another' is not who you think.
Simoa Barros on the internal complications of the much-acclaimed flick, and how the director's public stances contradict the film's apparent message.
Who's the bishop of the internet, where opinions reign?
Tulio Huggins probes the dangers of discernment-free digital evangelization, and charts a path for renewed tradition, prayer, and common sense.
Catholic discernment while Black: When the call comes through dismay
Fabian Adderley explains how the call to service in the Church is uniquely experienced in Black life, especially through the lens of hardship.
Norman C. Francis, first lay president at Xavier University of Louisiana, dead at 94
The former civil rights lawyer led the school for nearly 50 years, from the Civil Rights Movement through Hurricane Katrina and beyond.
Avoidance amid the madness: When Catholic leaders refuse the prophetic call
Efran Menny on the incomplete witness of American Catholic prelates amid the moral crisis of unchecked government repression under President Trump.
'The law must be executed': On slave catchers, ICE, and the missing moral voice
Tulio Huggins connects recent anti-immigration activities to the larger history of racist policing in America—and to Catholics with cat-got tongues.
Black Catholics must be prophets of resistance in the current American crisis.
Daryl Grigsby on the experiential wisdom with which African Americans in the Church can speak truth to power and call for community renewal.
A structure of sin: How EWTN fuels a distorted view of Catholic teaching
Jack Champagne interrogates a recent political poll from the right-wing Catholic media giant, linking it to a larger program of spiritual sedition.
A Christmas reflection from Europe: What the world is asking of America
Dr. Malcolm K. Oliver on the Christmas contradictions created by American interventionism and a larger spirit of empire at home and abroad.
In this time of moral crisis, where are the shepherds?
Dr. Ronald E. Smith on the need for activism from religious leaders amid the current sociopolitical moment—and the consequences of inaction.
Black Americans need solidarity from the Catholic Church in 2026—or else.
Efran Menny on the void of witness for anti-racist justice from Catholic leaders in 2025, and how they can chart a new path in a new year.