Conferences bring together women, clergy and religious

Two liturgical dancers performed before the closing Mass for the National Black Catholic Women’s Conference July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

Between July 26-31, a few hundred Black Catholics from around the nation, including lay women, religious and clergy gathered in the Archdiocese of Louisville.

The events drew them together in Louisville for worship, fellowship and learning.

The fifth National Black Catholic Women’s Conference took place July 26-28. It is sponsored by the National Black Sisters’ Conference, an organization that supports women religious in their ministries of social justice, advocacy and witness to the Gospel, according to the conference’s website.

Members of the Sisters’ Conference also took part in a joint gathering with the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, the National Association of Black Catholic Deacons and the National Black Catholic Seminarian Association July 28-31. Both gatherings took place at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel.

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre prayed during the closing Mass for the National Black Catholic Women’s Conference July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel. He was assisted by Deacon James Turner. The gathering was sponsored by the National Black Sisters’ Conference. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

The women’s gathering, held every five years, intends to strengthen and empower Black Catholic women, said Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Patricia Chappell, a co-chair of the event. 

To prepare for the gathering, the conference holds listening sessions to hear women’s concerns, challenges and hopes, she said.

Black women are feeling “marginalized and invisible” within the church, said Sister Chappell during an interview. “They feel their gifts and skills we bring aren’t appreciated.” 

Yet, Sister Chappell said this gathering is about “hope.” 

Women prayed during the closing Mass for the National Black Catholic Women’s Conference July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

“We’re on fire when we leave here. We know that we are seen in the eyes of our God. Our experience of God is liberating,” she said.

Various workshops during the three-day gathering tackled issues such as injustice, trauma, mental health and the impact of social media on the community. The women also discussed ways to share their gifts in areas of religious education and youth ministry.

Annette Mandley-Turner, executive director of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Multicultural Ministry, was among those who attended the conference. She said both conferences will have a long-term impact in the archdiocese.

Women prayed during the closing Mass for the National Black Catholic Women’s Conference July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

“It’s planting the seed for vocations,” and not only to religious life, said Mandley-Turner. “Religious life is a vocation but so is the laity. There is calling as a laity. Single people giving witness (during the conference) sends a message that there’s something in the church for everyone.”

The conferences also connect Black Catholics across the nation, she said. 

“To be a Black Catholic sometimes is to feel like you’re living in isolation. … But when you see the larger church and you’re doing the same thing, you know you are connected,” she said. 

The end of the national women’s gathering gave way to the joint meeting of Black Catholic clergy, religious and seminarians.

Women, including Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Patricia Chappell, far left, prayed during the closing Mass for the National Black Catholic Women’s Conference July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel. Sister Chappell is the co-chair of the women’s gathering. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

That gathering took place as many of the participants were grieving the sudden death of Father Norman Fischer, a priest of the Diocese of Lexington who was president of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus. Father Fischer, age 50, died July 14 while on sabbatical. 

Participants in the joint meeting paused on July 29 to attend Father Fischer’s Funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington celebrated by Bishop John E. Stowe.

Sister Chappell said Father Fischer was instrumental in organizing the joint conference, which took place July 28-31. Though on sabbatical, he was always available to conference members, she said, adding, his death is a loss to the Black Catholic community.

The theme of the joint conference was synodality.

Sandra Coles-Bell, executive director of the National Black Sisters Conference, served as a facilitator for the joint conference. Coles-Bell said the conference provided, among many things, an “opportunity to be synodal with each other. There’s much to be gained from that,” she said. “We each have an opportunity to listen to the other with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

Women prayed during the closing Mass for the National Black Catholic Women’s Conference July 28 at the Louisville Marriott East Hotel. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

Participants in the conference had the opportunity to hear presentations on synodality, exploring the questions, “What is it? How do we practice it and incorporate it into our lives and ministries?” she said. “I pray that the outcome will be that we really do understand the synodal process.” 

Ultimately, she hopes one of the outcomes of the gathering is that the different groups learn ways to respond to Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations,” each using their own charism but doing so together, she said.

Ruby Thomas
Written By
Ruby Thomas
More from Ruby Thomas
Retreat for the sick
and their caregivers
aims to share: God is with you
A new retreat ministry for the chronically ill and their caregivers is...
Read More
One reply on “Conferences bring together women, clergy and religious”

Comments are closed.