St Benedict the Moor Becomes Personal Parish for Blacks
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For Zubik, the fact that the church stands on the hill that overlooks the city, has to be a constant reminder of “how important Black Catholics are to us” – as if somebody had doubted about this.
Zubik “felt” a desire of the blacks to have their “unique spiritual and cultural needs met.” He also wants “to raise awareness of the need to walk with our Black sisters and brothers” – while a parish is about walking with Christ.
The decision was taken in February, but the diocese used the George Floyd hysteria to launch a publicity stunt. Already the 1960s, four predominantly black parishes were merged at St. Benedict's.
Benedict the Moor (+1589), was an illiterate Sicilian Franciscan lay brother born of African slaves. While in Italy he is revered for is holiness and spiritual gifts, in the United States he was turned in to a poster child for racial politics.
Picture: St. Benedict the Moor, Pittsburgh © Trevin Shirey, CC BY-SA, #newsXcdadbbjfi
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