Why Black History Month Matters…

February 16, 2023 | CatholicPhilly.com

By Father Stephen D. Thorne | CatholicPhilly.com

One of my assignments as a priest of our Archdiocese was to serve as Director of the Office for Black Catholics from 2004-2011. In that ministry, I was blessed to have the leadership of Bishop Robert Maginnis. He was a man of wisdom, integrity, and compassion.

During those years, I led a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Office for Black Catholics in 2005. I asked Bishop if we could collaborate with the Philadelphia Museum of African American History to share the history of Black Catholics with the larger community. Bishop smiled at my enthusiasm and simply said, “Stephen, go for it.”

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