Los Angeles, Calif., Feb 27, 2017 / 09:55 am
They came from across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to stand together, worship side-by-side and honor their shared history: African American Catholics, a small yet faith-filled community, sang God's praises as one during this year's Black History Month Mass on Feb. 18 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown L.A., which has hosted the annual Mass every year since 2003.
"Black Catholics have always had a very strong faith," said Andrew Knox, a parishioner at St. Brigid Church, who spoke to Angelus News during the February meeting of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization (AACCFE), which serves the local African American Catholic community year-round, and helps organize parish and archdiocesan-wide events like the Black History Mass.
"We're rooted in a strong spirituality and we are always moving forward," added Knox, a member of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization council, which represents 25 parishes and meets monthly September through June. "Our faith never fails us … we believe that Jesus is always going to lead us in the right direction. We're strong believers."
And they are strong evangelizers, too, noted Anderson F. Shaw, director of the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization. During the Feb. 18 Mass, participating parishes each presented one individual to be recognized as a Keeper of the Flame, which honors those who have "kept the flame of evangelization alive" in their parish communities.