Winter-Edition-BCM-Newsletter-2015

Winter Edition 2015 BLACK CATHOLICS IN THE ROCKIES St Josephine Bakhita Feast Day February Canonized - October 2000 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Page Local & National News Page Julia Greeley Page Lent Page Page & Mother Theresa’s Do It Anyway Page Bishop-Elect Fernand Cheri Page Institute for Black Catholic Studies Page Annual Retreat Upcoming Events Websites Feast Day March Canonized - October 2000 Initiation for the KPC Jr Daughters Anita Grier Court #397 Director’s Note Stephanie Ball St Katharine Drexel Page Page 10 Page 11 Office of Black Catholic Ministry Contact Information Page 12 On February 1, 2015, the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary (KPCLA) Anita Grier Court #397 held an initiation for the Jr Daughters at St Ignatius Loyola Church The initiation for the Jr Daughters court was a great success Even with the bad weather, ten young ladies were initiated into the newly established Jr Daughters The KPC is historically the largest African-American lay organization in the United States established in 1909 The Jr Daughters division was established in 1930 “Our purpose is to render service to God and His Holy Church, render aid and assistance to the sick and disabled, and promote social and intellectual association among our members.” “Our Junior Division welcomes Catholic youth between the ages of 7-18.” Immediate Past District Deputy Janice Gray was in attendance and moderated the initiation Two Jr Daughters from Cure d’Ars - Deacon Charles Bright Court #261 - were in attendance also and helped with the initiation Everything went great Loyola’s young ladies were enthusiastic about having their own court The served lunch was a big hit and greatly appreciated by the Daughters and their parents A very special thank you went to the senior court members who attended and participated During the meeting, as an added surprise, the Daughters were welcomed by the District Level officers from Oklahoma via a telephone call The Officers for the Jr Daughters Anita Grier Court #397 are: Deborah Price - KPCLA Jr Daughter Counselor Stacy Lindsay-Esnault - KCPLA Assistant Jr Daughter Counselor Article submitted by Deborah Price Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 Director’s Note LOCAL NEWS Mary L Leisring Ms Stephanie Ball Concert St Ignatius Loyola Church In a response to the hype about the movie “Fifty Shades of Grey” I encourage you to make a donation to a women’s shelter where abused women have had to take shelter out of fear of physical and sexual abuse 23rd and York Street March 8, 2015 Denver, CO 80205 1:00 pm NATIONAL NEWS St Mary’s Press, in collaboration with the National Black Catholic Congress, has published the first Catholic Bible that speaks directly to African American youth The African American Catholic Youth Bible uses African American men and women as role models for African American youth, as well as many articles that delve specifically into the Catholic faith from an African American perspective http://www.nbccongress.org/blackCatholic-news/default.asp) DENVER’S SAINTLY WOMAN “In Secret Service of the Sacred Heart: The Life and Virtues of Julia Greeley” Blaine Burkey, O.F.M.Cap Miss Greeley’s Register obituary made it clear she was “remembered by pioneer Catholics as a familiar figure at Old St, Mary’s (DCR 6-13-1918) Julia herself acknowledged Mrs Gilpin’s role in her conversion When someone suggested she ask her employer to leave her some money, she replied very simply, “Oh, she gave me sumpin more’n money; she gave me my faith.” “In Secret Service of the Sacred Heart: remembering the Life and Virtues of Denver's Angel of Charity, Julia Greeley” an historical documentary written by Fr Blaine Burkey, O.F.M.Cap and published by the Julia Greeley Guild For a donation of $20.00 copies can be requested by: Phone: 303-558-6685 Email: juliagreeleyguild@gmail.com Website: www.juliagreeley.org 2 Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 LENT Lent is an ancient word for springtime; it designates a season of burgeoning inner and outer life Too often lent has been misunderstood as a time of grim repentance, but it is meant to be a time of joy, the joy of a fresh start, the joy that greening meadows and blossoming trees proclaim each spring The world order in accord with God’s design is only waiting for us to make it a reality here and now And how we make God’s design for the world a tangible reality? overcoming sin By in its three dimensions; we become authentic by pulling ourselves together; we celebrate our belonging to the universe by sharing with one another; we ground ourselves in God by let- ting ourselves down into God’s silence to drink from the fountain of life, the very source of our being Fasting, almsgiving and prayer are the three ways of aligning ourselves and our world with God’s design, the three intersecting pathway into the joy of Lent The three are inseparably intertwined How could I become authentic unless I ground myself in God and share? How could I truly share unless I found my authentic Self that is grounded in God? How could I ground myself in God unless I found in God that authentic Self of mine that is one with all and so will joyfully share? These intertwined dimensions help each one of us find our own customized observance of Lent There is this intimately personal aspect to one’s Lenten commitment, yet it finds expression in public action; the two are as two sides of one coin Permission granted by, Brother David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B www.gratefulness.org Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 Stephanie Ann Ball Ms Stephanie Ball Spirituals St Ignatius Loyola Church 23rd and York Street March 8, 2015 1:00 p.m Stephanie Ball, soprano, was destined to have a musical career From a young age, her parents introduced Ms Ball to many different types of music Her father was a funk drummer who taught her about popular forms of music, and her mother gave her daughter more of the classical and gospel musical experience Stephanie was a performer from the get-go and found her niche when she began studying voice in high school Ms Ball began her journey into the opera world as an undergraduate at Northern Arizona University where she sang the roles of Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and Adele in Die Fledermaus Ms Ball continued her studies at Washington University in St Louis where she received a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance She performed several roles there, including Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte Following graduate school, she moved into the professional world of opera and sang the role of Annina in Winter Opera St Louis' production of La Traviata Ms Ball spent two years as a Young Artist for the Bach Society of St Louis where she developed a passion for oratorio With the group she performed the solos for Mozart's Requiem Recently she has performed the solos for Fauré’s Requiem, and Poulenc's Gloria with other St Louis organizations Additionally, she loves the intimacy of the recital stage and enjoys performing works from the art song repertoire, particularly African American Spirituals Her credits include many prestigious awards, including district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in both Arizona and Kansas City Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 Stephanie Ball Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 Mother Theresa’s Do It Anyway People are often unreasonable, Illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest anyway What you spent years building someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway The good you today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway Written by Mother Theresa Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 An Auxiliary Black Catholic Bishop On March 23, 2015, Franciscan Father Fernand Cheri will be ordained to be an Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans Bishop-elect Cheri will be ordained in the year which marks the 50th Anniversary of Bishop Harold Perry, the first African American Bishop Archbishop Aymand of New Orleans welcomes his new Auxiliary Bishop saying, “He will be an asset to the Archdiocese, he is passionate about vocations, the welfare of his brother priests and education of the laity…” The Bishop-elect is a native of New Orleans where he was ordained in 1978 He received a Master’s Degree in Black Catholic Studies from Xavier University in New Orleans He served in a number of teaching and pastoral ministries including being pastor and administrator of several parishes in the New Orleans area One of Bishop-elect Cheri’s loves is the use of great music in the Liturgy He says: “I believe I can help further develop worship in the Black Catholic community with my experience with religious Black music.” Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 Institute for Black Catholic Studies I am pleased to announce that the IBCS has launched a new website This new vehicle of communication and presence on the Internet seeks to keep you informed regarding the happenings at the IBCS You will also find all the necessary downloadable documents to apply for the Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree in Pastoral Theology program or for the continuing education courses and the Elder's Retreat APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED The website also introduces you to our IBCS staff and stellar faculty this summer, highlights some of our Th.M degree graduates and their current ministries, provides an attractive photo gallery, media video-clips and YouTube videos, offers website links to numerous African American Catholic organizations and resources, catalogs news reports pertaining to the IBCS, presents an online calendar not only highlighting IBCS programs throughout the year but also significant African-American Catholic historical dates and events, it connects you with IBCS social media including Facebook and Twitter and it also gives you immediate contact with the IBCS Office by sending us a message You can even download the colorful 2015 IBCS Summer Session brochure! We encourage you to promote the IBCS website on social media, in your parish bulletins and among your family, friends, colleagues and co-workers Invite them to subscribe on the IBCS website to receive our bi-annual e-newsletter, updates, eblasts and other IBCS information found at the end of the home page We also invite you to "like" our Facebook page and to "friend" our IBCS Staff page or to "follow" our IBCS_XULA Twitter page The website address remains the same: www.xula.edu/IBCS The 2015 IBCS Summer Session classes begins June 29 and ends on July 17, 2015 SAVE THE DATE: For those in the greater New Orleans area we cordially invite you to attend our Opening IBCS Liturgy on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 6:30 PM at the St Katharine Drexel Chapel on the campus of Xavier University Peace and Blessings, Father Maurice J Nutt, C.Ss.R.,D.Min IBCS Director Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 OFFICE OF BLACK CATHOLIC MINISTRY \\\ Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 UPCOMING EVENTS S A V E Ms Stephanie Ball Concert St Ignatius Loyola Church 23rd and York Street March 8, 2015 T H E Denver, CO 80205 1:00 pm Annual Black Catholic Retreat April 10-12, 2015 Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House D A T E S Rev./Dr Maurice Nutt, C.Ss.R Director Deadline April 3, 2015 COST: $190.00 for the Weekend $80.00—Saturday Only 10 Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 WEBSITES OF INTEREST TO BLACK CATHOLICS Institute for Black Catholic Studies This is a direct link to Xavier University http://www.xula.edu/ibcs/index.php Black and Indian Mission Office www.blackandindianmission.org Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) http://www.ewtn.com Franciscan Handmaids of Mary www.franciscanhandmaidsofmary.org "In a Word" www.inaword.com The Josephites Founded in 1893, United States www.josephite.com Julia Greeley Guild www.juliagreeley.org Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver http://www.kofpc.org National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life www.blackcatholicsforlife.org National Black Catholic Congress www.nbccongress.org Oblate Sisters of Providence Founded in 1829, Baltimore, Maryland www.oblatesisters.com Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Founded in 1891, Bensalem, Pennsylvania www.katharinedrexel.org Sisters of the Holy Family Founded in 1842, New Orleans, Louisiana www.sistersoftheholyfamily.com The Society of the Divine Word Founded in 1875, Stevl, Holland www.divineword.org 11 Black Catholics in the Rockies Spring Edition 2015 OFFICE OF BLACK CATHOLIC MINISTRY ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER MISSION STATEMENT Jesus Christ calls the African American Community to share the richness and warmth of our ethnicity, cultural values, and deep spirituality with the entire Catholic Community We are united with other Catholics by our common faith, shared hope and mutual charity Our Lord has called us to proclaim the good news and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will answer that call as fully integrated members in the Roman Catholic faith Newsletter—Black Catholics In the Rockies Editor……….Mary L Leisring Contact Information: Mailing Address: Office of Black Catholic Ministry Archdiocese of Denver 1300 South Steele Street Denver, CO 80210-2599 Office Location: John Paul II Center for the Evangelization 1300 South Steele Street Office #039 Denver, CO 80210-2599 303-715-3165 E-Mail Address: Mary.Leisring@archden.org Visit us at http://www.archden.org/blackcatholicministry 12