Young Black Catholics are still here and flourishing more than their peers

April 5, 2022 | RNS Religion News Service

A new study found Gen Z Black Catholics are more traditionally religious than their Catholic peers of other racial groups.

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(RNS) — Kizito Katende is used to getting surprised looks. “Some people are taken aback a little bit, because they really wouldn’t expect a young Black person to be Catholic,” he said.

Kizito is 18 years old and attends a predominantly white parish in Detroit. For the most part, his experiences in the Catholic Church have been positive. “When done well, Catholicism is very welcoming, like a family, and it’s not discriminatory. For the most part, I have been treated well by other Catholics. Catholicism welcomes Black people,” he explained.

Photo: Kevin J. Parks/Catholic Review StaffWashington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory and fellow clergy celebrate Mass for the Men’s Day Celebration at St. Bernardine Catholic Church in West Baltimore Nov. 14, 2021.

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