The African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Newark will observe Black History Month with a special mass on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 12 p.m.
It will be presided over by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the Archbishop of Newark.
The mass will be held in Newark's Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Black History Month Mass
The annual mass will start with members representing the Black Catholic organizations from throughout the Archdiocese processing into the Cathedral, where portraits of Black Catholic candidates for sainthood will be displayed.
The choirs representing several parishes will perform spiritual songs and hymns during the liturgy. Those songs reflect the cultures of African Americans, Africa, and the Caribbean.
In addition, participants and guests are welcome to wear apparel that reflects their heritage.
Rahsaan Garlin, a liaison associate for the African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate, stated that Black History Month Mass is essential as it recognizes who and what they are as a culture.
For years, people of African descent have been forced to contend with discrimination and injustice.
Garlin added that the Mass serves as a reminder that groups, such as the Apostolate, are working to bring those issues to the forefront and fighting for various forms of equality worldwide.
The apostolate will reportedly continue to pursue projects such as the Black History Month Mass that teach respect for everyone, notwithstanding their racial backgrounds.
In 2022, the African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate of the archdiocese celebrated numerous milestones.
In addition to celebrating its 40th anniversary in October, the apostolate conducted various local listening sessions as part of the global Synod on Synodality to learn more about the involvement of the archdiocese's Black Catholic population in the Church.
The apostolate intends to collaborate with the leadership of the Archdiocese of Newark to resolve issues raised during the workshops.
The latest figures on the number of Black Catholics in the United States were published in 2016 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The statistics indicate that the Archdiocese of Newark is home to an estimated 34,000 Black Catholics. The African American, African serve these parishioners, and Caribbean Apostolate, which, among other things, works to eradicate racism and oppression, encourages black youth to embrace their cultural identity and promotes leadership within the Black community.
The African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate also work to share and strengthen their Catholic faith.
African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate
Based on its website, African American, African, and Caribbean Apostolate aims to identify and advance potential leaders among Catholics of African heritage living within the Archdiocese of Newark.
Also, the apostolate aims to foster a sense of financial responsibility and independent thinking.
Moreover, they plan to give young adults the tools they need to accept their cultural identities, reject living their lives apart from their savior Jesus Christ, and encourage them to do both.
By loving themselves and their communities, the apostolate may work toward eliminating all forms of racism and oppression.
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