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History of the Archdiocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministry

By Reverend Bruce W. Wilkinson

Each January we gather together on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to remember the call from God which Dr. King received to be a drum major for justice and peace. Dr. King spoke out fearlessly in the name of Christ Jesus with the message that as long as one person in our midst experiences discrimination and the sin of racism, all people remain enslaved. Many men and women have responded to the call of Dr. King's dream of an America where freedom and justice includes all no matter the person's color, religion, gender, creed, language or national origin. The call was especially answered for us as Catholics through the Church's proclamation of the Gospel in the American Bishops' Pastoral Letter on racism, "Brothers and Sisters to Us." But the call to follow Dr. King's dream had a greater impact on a group of Atlanta Catholics who sought to have our Archdiocese live out the call of Christ to bring the good news to all. It is the 20-year history of these people of faith who we also should remember today as we recall the legacy of Dr. King.

In the fall of 1981 a group of lay people and clergy gathered together to discuss the future of the Catholic Church in the Black communities of Atlanta. The group of concerned Black Catholics hoped to be able to have established in Atlanta an official outreach to Black Catholics as was being done in many other cities across the country. The group was lead by Mrs. Pam Crayton of St. Anthony's parish and included among others Ms. Karen Clemons, Mrs. Lorraine Mencer from St. Anthony's, Mrs. Phyllis Benjamin and Mrs. Ruby Palmer from Our Lady of Lourdes, Deacon Leon Allain from St. Paul of the Cross, Mrs. Marian Willingham, Mrs. Maureen Rhodes, Deacon Larry French, Parochial Vicar Fr. Bruce Wilkinson from Sts. Peter and Paul, and Sr. Linda Maser, CSJ, Mr. Earnest Pierson from Most Blessed Sacrament. In December, 1981 the then Archbishop, Thomas A. Donnellan, asked for the then chancellor of the Archdiocese, Msgr. Jerry Hardy, to meet with the group to help address concerns being raised by the Black Catholic communities. This ad-hoc group continued to meet regularly for the next four months. 

In March, 1982 Archbishop Donnellan officially established the Commission for Black Catholic Concerns. The Commission was made up of lay representatives and pastors from six parishes: Our Lady of Lourdes, Most Blessed Sacrament, St. Anthony, St. John the Evangelist, St. Paul of the Cross, and Sts. Peter and Paul. Mrs. Pam Crayton became the first chairperson and Mrs. Lorraine Mencer the first recording secretary of the Commission. On October 25, 1982 Archbishop Donnellan appointed Fr. Bruce Wilkinson as the Priest-Secretary of the Commission, replacing Msgr. Hardy. The pastors of the representative parishes in 1982 were Rev. John Adamski of St. Anthony, Fr. Cletus Dawson, CP of St. Paul of the Cross, Fr. Richard LaMadeline, MS of Most Blessed Sacrament, Fr. Frank Giusta of Our Lady of Lourdes, and Fr. Michael Woods of St. John the Evangelist, and Fr. Ray Horan of Sts. Peter and Paul. In November, 1982 the Commission conducted a Lay Leadership Seminar facilitated by Sr. Mary Roger Thibadeaux of the National Office for Black Catholics, Washington, D.C.

As 1983, began the Commission took on a wide range of projects. The first was to submit a set of by-laws to Archbishop Donnellan for his approval as well as an outline of planned activities. On February 13, 1983 the Commission hosted it first Archdiocesan Choir Fest, entitled "A Balm in Gilead" at St. Paul of the Cross Parish. On April 16, 1983 the Commission sponsored an Archdiocesan Sickle Cell Awareness Poster and Essay Contest for all children attending Catholic Schools and parish religious education programs. In March Fr. Joseph Cavallo, campus minister at the Atlanta University Center, requested that students from the Black Colleges have representation on the Commission (representatives began attending meetings in the fall of 1983). In May, 1983 Mrs. Lorraine Mencer became the second chairperson of the Commission after Mrs. Crayton was transferred to Chicago. Other individuals who began service on the Commission included Lt. John King of Sts. Peter and Paul, Mrs. Kathryn Woodyard, Mrs. Mercedes Walker, Mr. Rogers Gibson and Mrs. Margaret Manns from St. John the Evangelist, Sr. Kathleen Purser, GNSH and Dr. Sadye Young from St. Paul of the Cross, and Mrs. Fran Wilkinson and Mrs. Connie Sambrone of St. Anthony. In the summer of 1983 the Commission began to publish a quarterly newsletter with articles from the various parishes on issues of concern to Black Catholics. In the fall of 1983, the Commission presented the request to Archbishop Donnellan that the Archdiocese conduct an annual Mass in honor of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Archbishop gave his approval for this Mass. The first Archdiocese of Atlanta celebration honoring Dr. King's birthday was held on January 8, 1984 at the Cathedral of Christ the King, with the invited homilist being the then Bishop James P. Lyke, OFM, auxiliary bishop of Cleveland. The soon to be Archbishop of Atlanta, James Lyke, gave a stirring homily in 1984 and the standing room only crowd at the Cathedral sang joyously under the guidance of the combined voices of Commission member parishes' choirs. 1984 saw the addition of one more parish to the Commission for Black Catholics. The seventh parish, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, asked to become a member parish and was admitted under the permission of the Archbishop in the spring of 1984.

The Commission set as it primary goal for the remainder of 1984 to lay the groundwork to create a permanent office for Black Catholic ministry within the Archdiocese. While working on this project the Commission still continued to host its’ Choir Fest, Poster Essay contests, dialogues with established Archdiocesan departments and staff members on the inclusion of Black Catholics into the life of the Archdiocese, as well as to conduct workshops for lay leadership development. In the late summer of 1984 the Commission acted as the host committee for the National Office for Black Catholics' annual liturgy and worship workshop. The workshop attracted several hundred participants from around the country for the weeklong event.

The long and hard work of 1984 finally was rewarded in 1985 when Archbishop Donnellan gave his permission for the establishment of the Office for Black Catholic Ministry. The Office became official on September 1, 1985 and Mrs. Rhonwyn Rogers, a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist, was hired as the first director. The Commission continued to function for the next two years as an advisory body to the Office as well as to help the Office plan for the first modern Black Catholic Congress which was to be held in Washington, D.C. in 1987. After the Congress the Commission, having achieved its original purpose of helping the Archdiocese of Atlanta create an Office for Black Catholic Ministry met for the last time in the winter of 1988.

Many faith-filled Black and White Catholic men and women from the various parishes of our Archdiocese answered the call to be "brothers and sisters to us." They pursued the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s to beat a drum for justice and bring God's love to all. We rejoice today in this story of hope and faith, that these few were willing to help make our Church a better place which reflects what the Body of Christ is supposed to become - a place where God's love dwells. May we all join in helping make that day come when all of God's children may sing, "Thank God Almighty! We are free at last!