By Natalie Romano \ Angelus As a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s gospel choir,…
February 20, 2025 |
A Sign of Hope: Pope John Paul II’s meetings with the Black Catholic communities in New Orleans
On September 11, 1987, Saint John Paul II made a historic visit to New Orleans, where he met and addressed its Black Catholic community. Through the words and actions of these encounters, Saint John Paul II delivered a powerful message to Catholics everywhere about the gifts that Black Catholics bring to the Church, a message that still resonates deeply in our society today.
A temporary exhibit for the month of February was inaugurated on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, DC, that testifies the importance of this historic visit through photos and objects from the Shrine’s collection and from Xavier University’s archives. The exhibit opening featured speakers Dr. Ansel Augustine, Assistant Director of African American Affairs at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and New Orleans native, and Mrs. Therese Wilson Favors, former Director of the Office of African American Catholic Ministries for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, both of them present at the 1987 event.
Click the play button above to watch the exhibit inaugural program, or click the link below.
