Black Catholic Leaders: Then and Now
In honor of Black History Month, Polk County Catholic Schools remember and revere Black leaders in the Church who overcame the barriers of racial inequality to spread the word of God. These figures led at the intersection of compassionate service and faith, inspiring the values of diversity, tolerance, and social justice in Catholic education.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1776–1853)
Born in Haiti and taken to New York as a slave, Venerable Pierre Toussant became one of America’s first Black entrepreneurs—but instead of spending his fortune on himself, Touissant gave selflessly to the sick, impoverished, and disadvantaged. He and his wife sheltered orphans and refugees, helped raise money to build Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and sponsored the first Catholic school for Black children in New York City. In 1996, Touissant was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II for his lifetime of service in the Church.
Servant of God Mother Mary Lange (1784–1882)
Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange founded the Catholic Church’s first religious order of African-American women in 1828. A refugee from Cuba, Mother Mary quickly realized the lack of educational resources for young Black immigrants and devoted her time to teaching children of color. She and her sisters also supported young women with career training, provided housing for orphans, and risked their lives to treat the sick in the cholera outbreak of 1832. Mother Mary persevered with faith in the face of racism and poverty, inspiring countless others to lead by her example. As of 1991, the Catholic Church is considering Mother Mary Lange for possible canonization as a saint.
Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman (1937–1990)
Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, born Bertha Bowman, converted to Catholicism at the age of nine with permission from her Methodist parents. Having experienced racism firsthand in the segregated South, Sister Thea was deeply influenced by the way Catholics put their faith into action in their communities. She taught at all grade levels for 16 years until the Bishop of Jackson, Mississippi invited her to become a consultant for intercultural awareness. As a consultant, Sister Thea shared the joys of gospel and prayer while calling on people to celebrate the differences of their cultures. Sister Thea spoke at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops shortly before passing from breast cancer in 1990, leading them in the African-American spiritual, “We Shall Overcome.”
His Excellency, The Most Revered Joseph Lawson Howze (1923–2019)
Joseph Lawson E. Howze, the first openly-Black bishop of a diocese, was a teacher in Mobile, Alabama in 1948 when he became inspired by one of his students to convert from Methodism to Catholicism. Howze was ordained a priest 11 years later in Raleigh, North Carolina, and went on to be appointed the founding bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi in 1977. He was a strong believer in Catholic education, once saying that “Catholic schools are not just private schools, but schools with a very definite philosophy of educating the whole man — body and soul.” Bishop Howze retired in 2001 after serving the Catholic community for over 50 years, and passed away in 2019 at the age of 95.
His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory (Born in 1947)
On November 28, 2020, His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory made history as the first African-American cardinal when Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals in Rome. Cardinal Gregory has written extensively on church issues such as social justice, the death penalty, and liturgy in the African-American community, and has been awarded nine honorary doctoral degrees.
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