CHARLOTTE — Members of Our Lady of Consolation Parish, the Diocese of Charlotte’s largest Black Catholic congregation, took part in a three-day event for spiritual renewal Oct. 23-25.
Led by guest preacher Father Ajani K. Gibson of New Orleans, “Praying The Vision: A Renewal of Spirit Revival” was part retreat, part revival and involved parishioners, young and old. It featured evenings of prayer and preaching with music to enrich the soul, echoing the theme of the 2023 National Black Catholic Congress, “Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive.”
Father Gibson’s preaching encouraged people to reflect on God’s grace and how He can move Catholics into a full renewal of spirit and faith.
The practice of “spiritual renewal” or “revival,” as it has been called in the cultural tradition of the Black Church, was popularized in a time that lyricist James Weldon Johnson described as “… the days when hope unborn had died.”
It’s a time of “calling on the Spirit” to revive people again and “to help make a way out of no way,” noted the parish’s Black Culture Commission, which organized the event.
Born and raised in the vibrant cultural mosaic of New Orleans, Father Ajani’s Catholic faith is deeply rooted in the rich traditions and spirituality that define his close-knit parish community.
Father Gibson’s own vocation story offered hope, renewal and a reminder that God’s Presence knows no boundaries.
He explained that the priesthood was a constant presence in his life, since he was a toddler. “It was at the young age of 3 that I first heard God calling my name. I was the kid who dressed up as a priest for Halloween and celebrated Mass for my stuffed animals. I just knew I wanted to be a priest.”
Yet, he said, “Internally, I fought God’s beckoning. Externally, I became the poster child for the youth ministry. I ran away from God’s call, only to end up in the center of the Church in the United States at The Catholic University of America. For six years, I danced around the question of seminary until I was posed with this question: ‘How long will you delay the inevitable?’ I could not fight it anymore after that. I could not give any more excuses. I had to stop delaying the inevitable.”
He followed God’s call and was ordained a priest in 2021. He is now pastor at the parish where he grew up, St. Peter Claver Parish in New Orleans, assists with the Archdiocesan Office of Worship, and serves in several advisory roles for initiatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, including the National Eucharistic Revival and the Journeying
Together Cultural Diversity Initiative.
His youthful energy, combined with his deep faith and dedication to service, offered a unique perspective that resonated with both the young and the young at heart, organizers said.
— Lori McElrath. Photos by Troy Hull
