As I walked through the doors of the Unity Explosion conference at the Hilton in Nassau Bay, Texas, immediately I knew I was in the right space. To my right, I saw older Black Catholics wearing themed t-shirts and having lively discussions about the liturgical and evangelization sessions earlier that day. They greeted me with that quintessential Black familial, jovial, and inviting Sunday church smile. At that moment, it felt like I was meeting long-lost cousins at our annual family reunion—yet this was a sacred gathering of Black Catholic faithful coming to fellowship and foster deeper appreciation for the Catholic faith.
I was grateful to be invited to the gathering to share on the importance of contributing to the rich body of wisdom in Black Catholic Christianity around catechesis, evangelization, and the ministerial needs of our people. I was a panelist for a session entitled “No Feeble Service: Giving God Our Best,” drawn from Servant of God Thea Bowman’s admonition against serving God with lackluster worship.
Out of all the questions that cemented our discussion, I was drawn to a few in particular: “What does ‘feeble service (ministry)’ look like in our parishes and organizations? How can we safeguard against it?” and “What is the role of mentoring in forming ministers who can serve the Lord with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength?”
As a Catholic convert that has navigated quite a few ministerial and service providers in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, I have seen a few gaps in terms of how to effectively meet my needs and those of my Black Catholic family. Whether during spiritual direction, natural family planning in our fertility journey, or being in OCIA/RCIA three times (twice for me and once accompanying my wife’s conversion), I’ve observed a lack of culturally and racially sensitive awareness among clergy and parish staff.
The lack of culturally competent work, in my view, is a pervasive obstacle—a gap that shows a failure in adhering to the commandment to love God and neighbor. As this manifests, the rupture in nurturing pastoral care is shown by ill-informed guidance that completely undermines evangelization efforts to the Black community.
Rooted in the work of Jesus, my answer to the first question noted that he was always intentional about understanding the cultural, historical, and religious condition of those he interacted with. From the Roman centurion to the blind man at Bethesda, and notably the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus understood that ministering to them encapsulates all those dynamics.
With the Samaritan woman, Jesus embraced a sort of Person-In-Environment (PIE) framework, which understands a person in their cultural, social, and physical context. We see Jesus understanding 1) the cultural and historical differences of Jews and Samaritans, 2) the Jewish law’s interplay with the women’s current status, and 3) the societal status of women in antiquity.
His special encounter is not just a proclamation of salvation to the gentiles but also a recognition of exceptional ministerial needs, given his position as the all-knowing Messiah. This PIE framework, as modeled by Christ, is something that can cement all social ministry, evangelization, and justice work in the Catholic Church.
Remembering the past
America has a long track record of neglecting, harassing and oppressing the descendants of slavery. Since the Catholic Church exists in this structure and has participated in the same patterns of injustice, its leaders can greatly benefit from abandoning one-size-fits-all outreach that has historically catered to White Catholics and other non-Black groups. Simply put: If any Catholic entity wishes to nourish the physical or spiritual needs of Black Americans, a holistic understanding of our needs must be understood first.
During my Unity Explosion panel, I mentioned the topic of vocations as an example. We lament the lack of Black American men entering the Catholic priesthood and religious life in this country. However, if we performed simple social work tests, such as a needs and risk assessment, we would see how the current state of affairs is rooted in the fact that Black Catholics in America have always faced exclusion and insufficient resources. A proportionate amount of social, cultural, and historical understanding is required to reverse the trend.
After the panel discussion in Texas, I facilitated a breakout group on how to get more Black Catholic families active in the Church. This was at the invitation of Amy Auzenne, the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the archdiocese. I was blessed by the amazing depth of wisdom from the participants in our group. From parish school staffers to a pediatrician, the work of the Holy Spirit to guide a fruitful dialogue was evident. Though we exchanged many great ideas and reflective anecdotes, a few central ideas reverberated.
First, the necessity of making the local parish a family-friendly place. Many wondered how church schedules would be accommodating to busy day-to-day family schedules. We discussed suggestions like making Sunday the preferred day for any faith formation opportunities and programming that nurtures the needs of family unity. Events that cater to family interests, like college nights or support services, would also make the Church more accessible for families.
I was also adamant about the necessity of mentoring as a viable option to influence young Black Catholic families and couples. Older couples that are married can provide invaluable perspective and guidance to millennials and Gen Z on how to discern a healthy relationship that leads to marriage. Having embraced the sacrament of matrimony a decade ago, I feel that insights even from the 5- or 10-year milestone could help equip younger couples and singles with the empowerment needed to remain chaste, serve God, and balance one’s identity as a Christian in the world. This could be interpreted better from a couple than from a priest who doesn't share in the sacrament or who may come across as too “preachy.”
When the panel and breakout groups were concluded, I caught up with one of my favorite local mentors, Doris Barrow III, who is the director of the Texas Southern University Newman Center and a well-known figure in Black Catholic affairs. As we shared our own reflections, I made a commitment to become a better investigator of why people I encounter are no longer practicing Catholics or why they’ve never considered the Catholic faith. Empowered by dialogues on the need to simply ask “Why?”, I felt challenged to commit to future encounters, especially as the only Catholic in my entire family.
A generational issue
Moreover, as I surveyed the room during my panel discussion and beyond, a pressing issue among Black Catholics was apparent to me: The Baby Boomer/Silent Generations are passing without a robust replacement generation in the Church. I counted only a handful of people under the age of 30, while the nearly 100 others were elders.
I remembered that for most of my Christian experience, even as a Baptist, this dynamic has always been a reality at the various churches I attended. When I got married, I was one of the youngest adults in my church and we were the youngest married couple, surrounded by older couples and parishioners. Before her Confirmation, my wife and I would visit her former Baptist church home as well. Though there were more younger kids, the generational divide was still evident.
Even though this issue persisted, as a Protestant I found ways to find communion and fellowship. I could easily go to a large non-denominational worship environment and find like-minded and similar-aged Black men and women to nurture my Christian journey. This was also true in campus-based ministries at Texas Southern University in my undergraduate journey. Even after growing in my faith post-graduation, I found several Protestant communities that had young adult and marriage ministries, and even young adult worship services for belonging and community.
As a Catholic, I haven’t seen nearly enough organization in terms of engagement, evangelization, and ministry that mirrors our Protestant brothers and sisters. Perhaps in cities where there is a strong Black Catholic presence, a parish can host a bi-monthly young adult Mass followed by refreshments and fellowship. This could be a great way to pursue meaningful retention but also serve as an open invitation to the Black community to encounter the Eucharist.
Engagement is a call
Engaging our Black Catholic youth and families, and evangelizing Black Americans at large, are tasks we must take seriously for the longevity of our sacred spaces. For centuries, Black Catholics have been cultivating a liturgy, music, expression, and overall culture that is distinct and needed. To have this truly God-breathed and inspired tradition lose its luster and prominence would be a ball dropped, especially given how our Black Catholic ancestors forged such a mighty faith community.
After leaving the conference, having met so many great Black priests, religious sisters, and laypeople who imparted wisdom and empowerment for my role as a writer, I felt reinvigorated to problem-solve in various areas of Church life. I'm hopeful that through future collaboration with various stakeholders in my archdiocese, we will be able to address the multifaceted needs of Black Catholics.
This Unity Explosion conference was not the end but rather the spark to ignite the call of the Holy Spirit: to help create a better church where Black Catholics can authentically praise the goodness of the gospel.
Efran Menny is a husband, father, and regular contributor to BCM. His work is informed by his experience as an educator and his studies in social work. He has a passion for elevating topics on justice and theology for Black Catholics.
