Florida Catholic | Florida’s Black Catholics Celebrate Diversity, Tackle Issues

Florida’s black Catholics celebrate diversity, tackle issues

JENNIFER SURGENT | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 06.13.08

Natalie Jackson, center, a Tampa-based dance instructor and student instructor Mosi Marquis Miller, 16, right, lead a group of young Catholics through a choreographed liturgical dance routine June 7.

JENNIFER SURGENT | FC
Both dressed in typical Nigerian clothing at the Florida Conference of Offices of Black Catholic Ministry’s Gathering 2008 in Jacksonville, Natalie Jackson, center, a Tampa-based dance instructor and student instructor Mosi Marquis Miller, 16, right, lead a group of young Catholics through a choreographed liturgical dance routine June 7. After practicing, the group performed the spiritual dance routine.

JACKSONVILLE | About 200 black Catholics from around Florida and elsewhere – ranging from kindergartners to senior citizens – gathered here June 6-8 to get closer to their spirituality and the sacraments, network and organize strategies to deal with issues facing them today.

The Florida Conference of Offices of Black Catholic Ministry’s third assembly, called Gathering 2008, followed the theme “Living the Gifts of the Sacraments Through Our Cultural Diversity.”

The gathering was marked by song, dance, prayer and other celebration, but conversations also turned to problems within the black Catholic community and how to solve them.

Maria Jenkins of Holy Redeemer Church in Miami said lack of participation of black Catholics in parishes, low numbers of black deacons and priests, and the closing of black Catholic schools, churches and Offices of Black Catholic ministries topped her list of issues.

Inspirational Catholic speaker Vallimar Jansen, traveled to Florida to present a series of workshops June 7 for the participants of the Florida Conference of Offices of Black Catholic Ministry’s Gathering 2008 in Jacksonville.

JENNIFER SURGENT | FC

“We feel that all takes away from the evangelization of black Catholic people,” said Jenkins. “The church, at times, is not welcoming.”

As a solution, she and other conferencegoers said they want the church to participate more in the black community by holding more conferences and by reaching out to black men with opportunities to become priests and deacons.

LEFT: Inspirational Catholic speaker Vallimar Jansen, traveled to Florida to present a series of workshops June 7 for the participants of the Florida Conference of Offices of Black Catholic Ministry’s Gathering 2008 in Jacksonville.

JENNIFER SURGENT | FC
Edith Stevens dances with the children who attended faith-based sessions she facilitated June 7 at the Florida Conference of Offices of Black Catholic Ministry’s Gathering 2008 in Jacksonville. The conference included a youth track for kindergarten through high school students.

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Florida’s black Catholics celebrate diversity, tackle issues

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