By OSV News

The bishops [also] heard a video presentation on the 2023 National Black Catholic Congress, which highlighted the church’s affirmation of the importance of Black Catholics and the gifts they bring to the wider church.

“We have a long legacy of faithfulness to our church, and I thank you for all you’ve done to keep that fire burning,” Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell of Washington, president of the National Black Catholic Congress, told the bishops.

Bishop Campbell asked the bishops as fellow “missionary disciples” to do three things: encourage Black young people to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious and consecrated life; promote Black American Catholics with open causes for canonization known collectively as the “Holy Six” — Venerable Mother Mary Lange; Venerable Father Augustus Tolton; Venerable Mother Henriette DeLille; Venerable Pierre Toussaint; Servant of God Julia Greeley; and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman; and to make use of the NBCC’s resources to develop a pastoral plan for Black Catholics in their individual dioceses.

He said the congress’s pastoral action plan “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive” is for Black Catholics “a means to use their God-given gifts for the church, the body of Christ, for our brothers and our sisters.”

Watch the video presentation by clicking here: https://youtu.be/n1YkAS3Idfo