Touchy Subject

[mulls]

This question applies only to this country....here it is...

Why are there so few Black Catholics?

In my experience, 19 years as a Catholic, there were never, ever any Black people in the parishes I attended, except for one distinct family in one parish. I don't want to point any fingers or make any accusations, but why do you suppose this is? Most Black Christians I know are Baptist or Pentecostal, which their family has been for many generations.

To note, I live in CT, in a highly diverse and highly Catholic area, right between NYC and Boston. If people have experienced the same or completely opposite situation from me in their own area, I would appreciate a response. Also, if there are any Black phatmassers who would like to chime in, I would greatly appreciate that point of view. Thanks.

[Anna]

I live in a predominantly white community. It's not high income or anything; not much industry. Dairy farming is BIG here. A couple of paper manufacturing plants, but they are struggling.

The biggest thing that has brought minorities into our area is a nearby military base. Thanks to the military, I've always had black Catholic classmates, parishoners, and friends.

Pax Christi. <><

[mulls]

interesting.

i wonder what your friends would think about this question.

[cmotherofpirl]

It probably depends on where you are.

My roomie in college was a black Catholic from Baltimore where her family had been Catholic for generations.

Edited December 18, 2003 by cmotherofpirl

[mulls]

i suppose, but the reason I ask, like I mentioned is that I live in a racially diverse/highly catholic area.

how does...

A. (high black population)

+

B. (high catholic population)

=

C. (almost non-existent black catholic population)?

Edited December 18, 2003 by mulls

[p0lar_bear]

In the United States, there are relatively few black Catholics (this obviously does not hold true in Africa...). The reason is not a matter of religion, but of history. There have large immigrations of Irish, Italian, Polish, French, Volga-Germany, etc.. . (all predominately white) Catholics. They settled in the North and in the plains states. The vast majority of blacks, on the other hand, came to the United States as slaves. They lived in the South where they worked on the plantations. While they came with their tribal religions, many took on the faith of their masters (whether by force or by choice). When they were freed, the majority remained in the South and, logically, joined the denominations that were predominant there. When they moved North and West, they took their faith with them. Faith became cultural, and they stay in those denominations because that is how they grew up (not a comment on any denomination or Protestantism in general).

[PedroX]

I attend a mixed parish, but I know of a couple of predominatly black parishes where there are few to none white parishioners. These parishes are in historically black neighborhoods, so perhaps it is a geography/demography problem. Note, that most Protestant churches I attended in my 29 years of Protestantism were not mixed either.

peace...

[ICTHUS]

Faith became cultural, and they stay in those denominations because that is how they grew up (not a comment on any denomination or Protestantism in general).

The same could be said of Catholicism.

[hyperdulia again]

i know lots of black catholics...i'm related to over a hundred of them.

[p0lar_bear]

The same could be said of Catholicism.

I don't dispute that, but we are talking about why black Americans are predominantly Protestant. Any faith or system of beliefs can become cultural. That's why I put the disclaimer that I was not commenting on Protestantism.

[mulls]

so whether or not the cultural argument is correct or not, and it seems very plausible, does the Church need to do something to reach out the black community? in my area, from people i know catholicism seems to be 'a white thing.'

[Bruce S]

This question applies only to this country....here it is...

Why are there so few Black Catholics?

In my experience, 19 years as a Catholic, there were never, ever any Black people in the parishes I attended, except for one distinct family in one parish. I don't want to point any fingers or make any accusations, but why do you suppose this is? Most Black Christians I know are Baptist or Pentecostal, which their family has been for many generations.

To note, I live in CT, in a highly diverse and highly Catholic area, right between NYC and Boston. If people have experienced the same or completely opposite situation from me in their own area, I would appreciate a response. Also, if there are any Black phatmassers who would like to chime in, I would greatly appreciate that point of view. Thanks.

Why are there so few Black Catholics?

Your songs don't translate well to a rousing chorus.

:rolleyes:

[phatcatholic]

i'm curious...........are you the same "Bruce S" from christianity.com?

[Paladin D]

i'm curious...........are you the same "Bruce S" from christianity.com?

:saber:

[dUSt]

In my parish, I'd say we have about 30 black families. When I spent some time in Southern Louisiana, I attended a Catholic Church that was pretty much all black.

In fact, there's a LOT of black Catholics in Louisiana.

Also, it's really a U.S. issue. There are actually over 200 million black Catholics worldwide.

Here's some sites you can check out:

http://www.nbccongress.org

http://www.bcimall.org

http://www.blackcatholicchicago.org

[hyperdulia again]

master p is cathholic.

my great-grandmother was 1/8 black, an octoroon, from louisiana, sshe didn't look black, but under louisiana law she was a black catholic and if this was 1850 or 1950 in the South I would be a black Catholic.

dUSt's beautiful bride is a black Catholic.

[dUSt]

Levar Burton and Aaliyah are Catholic.

Kerry Kittles from the New Jersey Nets is Catholic too--in fact, I read an interview where he said that one of the greatest accomplishments of his life was becoming a Eucharistic minister.

[hyperdulia again]

there are also lots of black catholics that belong to the abyssinian and other african rites of the church.

in ALABAMA there's a whole town made up of black catholics, it's called Pineapple, and they're all roman rite.

[hyperdulia again]

aaliyah ora pro nobis and we'll ora pro you!

[dUSt]

And there's been many black saints, as well as African popes. St Martin de Porres is one of my favorite saints, and he was African American.

Not to mention that the President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops is black, and there are 13 black bishops in the U.S. That's bishops, not priests.

So... I think it's regional.