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Catholic News Herald

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On the road to sainthood?

111122 Place at the TableCHARLOTTE — The Catholic Church has no African American saints, but that could soon change – and Our Lady of Consolation Parish is inviting the community to a special event to learn about six Black Catholics under consideration for canonization.

Set for Saturday, Nov. 19, the event will kick off in the afternoon with a musical collaboration between the parish’s men’s choir and the student choir from Charlotte Catholic High School, followed by the main event: screening of the critically acclaimed documentary “A Place at the Table – African Americans on the Path to Sainthood.”

The film, crowdfunded in 2021, highlights the exceptional lives of six deceased African American Catholics who are at various stages of review for possible canonization.
Our Lady of Consolation, a historically Black parish in Charlotte, is sponsoring the event as a tribute to the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary this year and to raise awareness of African Americans’ contributions to the Church during Black Catholic History Month in November.

The event will begin at 2 p.m. at the MACS Fine Arts Center on the campus of Charlotte Catholic High School, the new venue for use by Catholic schools and organizations across the diocese.

“We’d like the event to be a ‘wow moment’ for people who may not be aware of the full, rich spectrum of Catholicism and the pivotal role that African Americans play in the Church – and what better time to do this than during the diocese’s 50th anniversary?” said Dr. Evelyn Anderson, a physician and parishioner of Our Lady of Consolation Church who co-chaired the event planning committee.
“It’s going to be a whole afternoon that will be fun and informative and will invite people out to learn and be a part of something new,” she said.

In the African tradition, African drummers will welcome participants into the space, and special seating is reserved for “honored elders.” A taped interview with Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt, a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, will also be on tap. Nutt penned a book about Sister Thea Bowman, who is among those under consideration for sainthood.

Sister Thea once visited Winston-Salem as part of a local Catholic awareness program organized by the Winston-Salem Vicariate. At the April 30, 1989, program at the Benton Convention Center, she discussed the role of African Americans in the Church. Read more about the six Black Catholics up for sainthood

“Our hope is to use this afternoon as a way to educate not just our parishioners but the whole diocese and the community,” Anderson said. “We want to give people something to think about … for consideration and discussion in their own homes.”

— SueAnn Howell

Get your tickets

Tickets are $5 and may be purchased online at www.ourladyofconsolation.org. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. The event runs from 2-5:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, at the MACS Fine Arts Center at Charlotte Catholic High School, 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28226. Film starts at 3 p.m.