The unique outfits and music styles not often heard at many of our parishes made it clear that this Mass was a special gathering of backgrounds, cultures, and origins.

“It is a blessing for me as bishop to gather with you today as people of African heritage, together with our priests, deacon, religious, and the faithful from across our diocese to celebrate our faith, our cultures, and our unity in Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Gregory Parkes in his homily. He was the main celebrant for this Mass. “Today is an opportunity to give thanks to God for the many gifts that the African Catholic community brings to the life of this local Church. We celebrate our rich traditions, our vibrant expressions of worship, our music, our languages, our food, our families, and, above all, our deep faith in God.”

Bishop Parkes’ homily focused on how the faith of the African Catholic community has persisted through difficulties which is what has allowed it to continue to be the remarkable group that it is today.

“Many parents and grandparents handed on the faith through prayer, through sacrifice, devotion, and a strong trust in God. They taught their children to pray, to respect God, to honor family, to care for their neighbors, and to recognize the importance of coming to Mass every Sunday,” said Bishop Parkes. “For many, faith was not simply something practiced in church. It was part of their everyday life. It was expressed in the family, in the community, in times of joy, and especially in times of difficulty. Through migration, separation from loved ones, economic challenges, and the uncertainties of life, faith has remained a source of strength and of hope.”

This Mass is always a significant celebration for the greater community. It offers the opportunity for priests, deacons, and parishioners from a variety of African countries to gather and celebrate the Mass as a community. It reveals the deeper reality that every person is a part of the Body of Christ and that there is a strength in this unity. Approximately nine percent of the priests of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg are African, so this is an additional chance for those priests to be present with others who share their culture.

Bishop Parkes concluded his homily by reminding those in attendance that the value and contribution of this community goes beyond this celebration.

“Our African Catholic community is called to be a community whose lamps are always burning – burning with faith, burning with hope, burning with love,” he said. “We must never remain simply a community that gathers once a year to celebrate African culture and heritage. We must be an active and living part of the life and mission of the diocese. Our presence must be felt in our parishes, our ministries, our schools, charitable outreach, and our service to those who are most in need. May God bless our African Catholic community, bless our priests, deacons, religious, and bless our diocese. May the light of Christ continue to shine through us all.”

For more information about African Catholic Ministry, click here.