kabarsula Message of thanks: Wilton Cardinal Gregory happy to be coming to St. Joseph on French Street in Wilmington, Nov. 8 bandar SLOT INDONESIA

One of the most prominent leaders of the American Catholic Church has a simple message for the Black Catholic community in Wilmington, which he will address at St. Joseph’s Church on French Street in Wilmington at Mass celebrating National Black Catholic History Month on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m.

“The first thing I want to say to the people of St. Joseph’s is thank you for your fidelity,” said Wilton Cardinal Gregory, the retired archbishop of Washington. “Thank you for the experience of African American spiritual energy that you demonstrate in this local church and that you have maintained during some very difficult moments in our history. Thank you.”

“Thank you for your openness to share our cultural heritage, music, preaching, conviviality with the community and being a place of welcome for both the African American community but also all who come to worship at St. Joseph’s.”

Cardinal Gregory, also the former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the invitation to come to Wilmington came from Bishop Koenig, whom he described as a good friend. He has been asked to visit African-American parishes across the United States for many years, he said, but when he was in active ministry it was tough to get away from his dioceses.

“Now that I’m retired, I have a chance to accept the invitations. That gives me a wonderful experience of our Black Catholic community and their great fidelity to the church, their willingness to pursue the faith in spite of many, many obstacles that they’ve had to confront that were the result of racism or neglect. I’m glad to support those kinds of communities,” he said by phone from his office in Washington.

A native of Chicago, Cardinal Gregory grew up familiar with a number of Black or predominantly Black parishes there, as well as in Atlanta and Washington, two archdioceses he later led. Those churches “have such a welcoming aura.”

His experience with predominantly Black parishes is that they draw a wide array of people, regardless of race, ethnicity, age or residence. People “enjoy being in prayer in these parishes. They love the music, they love the hospitality, they love the preaching, the fellowship, the welcome.

“Those Black parishes have demonstrated, and continue to demonstrate, a wonderful presence in the community that reaches far beyond the African American community.”

The cardinal recalled saying Mass in Atlanta after the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., in 2015, in which nine Black worshipers were killed by a white man.

Cardinal Gregory was approached by the media after the service, and one person asked him why there were so many white people in attendance at the church, Our Lady of Lourdes, Atlanta’s mother church for African-American Catholics.

“I said, “They are Catholics, and this is their parish.” They’ve been there for years, and I suspect that’s the case at St. Joseph’s, too,” he said.

Cardinal Gregory, who received his red hat in 2020, will have a chance to greet attendees as they exit the church before heading back to Washington. He said it is something he enjoys; he wants to know if he might have a shared history or background with other Catholics.

Cardinal Gregory also shared some thoughts about his fellow Chicago White Sox fan, Pope Leo. Both are from the city’s South Side and have met each other on a number of occasions.

“He’s a great gift to the church, and he’s a healing gift,” he said.

People used to say there could never be an American pope, the cardinal said, something that made no sense to him. Pope Leo has proven him correct.

“He speaks fluent Spanish, English, Italian. He enjoys traveling. He’s done all the right things to be a sign of hope and unity for the church throughout the world,” Cardinal Gregory said.