Msgr. Ray East opened his keynote address with a hymn. “Away in a
manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head,” he
sang, joined by the participants of the Black Catholic Day of Reflection at Our
Lady of Good Counsel Church in Vienna Nov. 18, the day before the World Day of
the Poor. “That’s a really beautiful song about a really desperate situation,”
said the pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Church in Washington and the keynote
speaker.
Every African-American family has a story of poverty, he said. Many
blacks are still in poverty — the average worth of an African-American family
in Washington is around $3,500. “That means (on the whole) we owe more than we
are worth,” said Msgr. East.
“Jesus came as Good News for the poor,” he said. “(But) this is
very uncomfortable news for you and for me because, face it, we (overcame)
poverty.” Americans live in the richest society on the planet, surrounded by
luxury and excess, he said, adding, “We no longer want to be associated with
the poor. We’re running away from the
poverty of our forefathers.”
Still, he said, every African-American can think of an outcast
member of their extended family — the cousin who’s incarnated, who’s addicted
or who died a violent death. “We’ve come a long way, but we must never turn our
back on our own,” he told the attendees. “What does God want from us? To set
free the oppressed, to break off every yoke, to take the afflicted into your
home, to clothe the naked when you see them and not turn your back on your own
flesh.”
At the conference, which was organized by the Office of Multicultural
Ministries, black Catholics also reflected on the National Black Catholic
Congress, held in Florida in July. Those who attended listened to talks on
topics such as pro-life work, gun violence and the Eucharist. Deacon Al A. Anderson
Jr. and his wife, Beverly, parishioners of St. Joseph Church in Alexandria, said
they felt energized by their interactions with the youths at the congress. “There
was a spirit of joy,” he said.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge presented the Father Augustus Tolton
and Mother Mary Lange Award to Cecilia Braveboy, a longtime parishioner and volunteer
at Our Lady, Queen of Peace Church in Arlington, and thanked the black Catholic
community. “There are so many heroes within your community and we pledge to
follow your good example,” he said.
The day ended with black Catholics joining with African and Caribbean
Catholics for a Unity Mass celebrated by Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E.
Campbell Jr.
