BY SAMANTHA SMITH | The Catholic Standard

Placing his hands on the sculptures he made 25 years ago, Ed Dwight told stories of what inspired his art to visitors at the Our Mother of Africa Chapel.

Dwight, along with other artists and community members, was honored at the chapel during its 25th anniversary at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17.

The National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC) hosted the pilgrimage celebration. The NBCC is an organization that represents about 3 million African American Catholics within the United States to address spiritual needs within the Church. The chapel was a gift on behalf of the NBCC to the National Shrine. It remembers the history of slavery in the United States and provides a sense of hope.