Featured Article: A Brief History of African American Catholics - "Slavery was a cruel social institution that corrupted the entire history of the United States. It divided the nation. It divided religion. It touched every part of the Catholic Church. In 1839, Pope Gregory XVI condemned slavery in the document Supremo Apostolatus Fastigio, but this made little impact. Catholic slaveholders did not consider slavery immoral, since the Bible did not forbid it. Many priests and religious sisters owned slaves. So did some bishops. Even some African American Catholics had slaves. A black person might purchase a slave in order to be able to marry him or her and the spouse remained, legally, a slave." | Read Full Story

Archdiocese of New Orleans's IMANI Team
Changing Youth & Young Adult Ministry
By Veronique Dorsey
| Print Version | Discuss Online

Youth Article Index

We've Come This Far By Faith: St. Augustine Parish Youth Ministry About St. Lawrence Abstinence Education Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist: Two Sacred Sacraments and Blessed Acts Who Am I My life serving in the African American Catholic Community African American Young Adult Ministry is an act of Social Justice It's Time to Walk the Walk Your talents: Gifts from God and a call to action. A Purpose-Driven Life Not My Own Abstinence Saves Lives Our Forgotten Children "Prayer Changes" Pro-Life Pilgrimage If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Take You There Transitioning from High School to College Examination of Conscience PRE-CANA Archdiocese of New Orleans's IMANI Team

Youth Article Index

Who said youth can only help set up and tear down things for church? Who said youth didn't participate in church? Who said youth didn't have faith? Well the Imani team from New Orleans, Louisiana is the exact opposite of these stereotypes. The group was developed between the Office of Black Catholic Ministries and the CYO Youth & Young Adult Ministry office of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

The 35 Imani team is made up of members from the Black Catholic parishes and high schools within the Archdiocese. The youth, young adults, and adults are participants of the ROCK (Rebuilding Our Christian Kingdom - the Black Catholic young adult ministry of the Archdiocese), CLI (Catholic Leadership Institute - a week long leadership program sponsored by the CYO office), Teen Cross (the youth ministry leadership board of the Archdiocese that puts on the annual youth conference for the Archdiocese), and attendees of The National Black Catholic Congress that was recently held in Buffalo.

The Imani team has done many extraordinary things in the Archdiocese of New Orleans in its first year of existence. Some of these are writing a 5-year strategic plan for youth and young adult ministry for the black parishes in the Archdiocese. The Imani team put together and ran the youth track at the Evangelization Conference hosted by the Archdiocese. Some of the members help to do retreats and workshops in our parishes on youth ministry. They participated in the Black Saints Celebration. The Imani team recently hosted a Youth and Young Adults Revival where there 400+ people in attendance. At our final meeting in March, we hosted a group of 60 youth and adults that came down to New Orleans from Columbus, Ohio to help rebuild our city during their spring break. We are also about to go on a new retreat called Habari Gani designed for our Black Catholic youth that we will shape, grow, and lead in the years to come. Pictures of all our events can be found on our leader's (and my confirmation sponsor), Ansel Augustine, website: www.holyhotboy.com.

The Imani team has done so much for me. I've met many people and really grown in my faith. Mr. Ansel always reminds us that this is not a replacement for our own youth groups at our parishes. We are supposed to take what we learn and experience through Imani and bring it back to our home parishes. We are always reminded that we are role models to our peers and to our adults as well. Plus our work is to help our city and Archdiocese become better than they were before the storm.

Veronique Dorsey is a student at McDonough 35 Senior High School in New Orleans, LA. She is also a very active member of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. Veronique is the daughter of Mrs. Veronica Downs-Dorsey, choir director of St. Peter Claver. Veronique will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation in late April.

to top of page

We believe in Privacy! We will never sell your email address. Period!