Black History Month 2021

Join us in honoring Black History Month.

This year, we are highlighting two prominent Black Catholic women who gave their lives to serve the Lord. Join us in remembering and honoring them this February, and every month.

Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange (1784–1882), the foundress of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, was a native of the Caribbean. She received an excellent education and in the early 1800s settled in the United States. By 1813, Divine Providence directed her to Baltimore, Maryland where a large community of French-speaking Catholics from Haiti was established. Mother Mary Lange came to Baltimore as a courageous, loving, and deeply spiritual woman. She was a strong, independent thinker, and as an educated immigrant, she was of independent means, possessing monies left to her by her father. Mother Mary Lange obeyed her call to open a school in her home for impoverished children.

Bakhita (1869 – 1947), which means “fortunate” was not the name St. Josephine received at birth, it was a name given to her by kidnappers. The fright and terrible experiences she went through made her forget the name she was given by her parents. She was later sold to an Italian Consul who took her to Italy where she eventually became free. She was baptized and later joined the Canossian Sisters in Venice, Italy. St. Josephine lived an exemplary holy life. She was beatified on May 17, 1993 and was canonized on October 1, 2000, the same day in which St. Katharine Drexel was canonized.

Loading