Pope Leo XIV addressed the country's civil war-scarred past that he said has brought enmity and division, squandered resources and poverty. Today, there is a need to look to the future with hope and to build that hope.
No pillar of the African American community has been more central to its history, identity, and social justice vision than the Black Church. The grant is a blessing that will help us to make sure that it will be here for another 120 years and more.
The first publicly recognized Black priest in the United States, Augustus Tolton, may not be a household name. Yet I believe his story - from being born enslaved to becoming a college valedictorian - deserves to be a staple of Black History Month. "Good Father Gus" is now a candidate for sainthood. My forthcoming book, " The Wounded Church," examines ways that the Catholic Church has excluded people during different chapters of its history, from women to African American people.