Press Release

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati will observe National Black Catholic History Month with a special Mass, an awards dinner, and a lecture.

The Most Rev. Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, will preside at a Mass of Celebration in honor Black Catholic History Month at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at the University of Dayton’s Immaculate Conception Chapel.

At 3 p.m. that day, an invitation-only dinner honoring six African American Catholic ministers will be held in room 316 of UD’s Kennedy Union Center. The honorees are: Rev. William Cross, Rev. Francis Tandoh, Rev. Paul Marshall, Deacon Paul Richardson, Brother Hugh Henderson, and Sister Rachel Richards.

These ministers were chosen to receive the prestigious Ministerial Award for their service to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and to the African American Catholic Community.  The Award reads, “On the third day of November 2013, the Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, and the Office of African American Catholic Ministries recognize you for your years of ministerial service to the people of God in the Church of Cincinnati.  May God continue to pour blessings upon your life and ministry. ‘ You shall love the LORD, your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength.’  Deuteronomy 6:5”

The latest lecture in the annual George Findley Lecture Series, sponsored by the Athenaeum of Ohio – St. Mary’s Seminary and the Office of African American Catholic Ministries, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, in the Bartlett Center on the Athenaeum’s campus in Mt. Washington. The Most Rev. Joseph Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, will present a lecture on “Father Augustus Tolton: From Slave to Priest.”  Fr. Tolton has been given the title “Servant of God,” which is the first stage in the process of being canonized a saint. It means that the Holy See has carried out its own consultations to determine if there is any reason the Church should not proceed in investigating the cause for canonization.  

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 38th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with almost 500,000 Catholics, and has the sixth largest network of Catholic schools in terms of enrollment.  The 19-county territory includes 213 parishes and 113 Catholic primary and secondary schools.