Mission Statement
Revised October, 1989
Throughout the ages the Church has shown her support and concern for
the people who have been placed in her care under the mandate of the Gospel
{cf. Matthew 25:31
ff}. Many of these people were socially politically and economically disenfranchised;
while others were racially and culturally different from the majority population.
One such racially and culturally different population within the Church is the
African-American (Black) community. The Black community's unique history within the United
States has to a large extent made them one of several disenfranchised populations within
this country. Their struggles for equality and identity have created a woundedness that is
in need of healing and compassion. The inter-generational presence of Black people within
the Church and the increasing numbers who are entering the faith necessitates not only the
Church's acknowledgment of their presence, but also a response to their needs for healing
and justice.
The Archdiocesan Office for Black Catholics was established in 1988 to respond
to the needs of Black Catholics and the broader Black community of Boston. Through
advocacy, educational programming and other direct services, the Office for Black
Catholics promotes: the development of Black Catholic leadership, Evangelization, family
life, racial justice, vocations, and acculturation in Catechetics and worship.
The Office is mandated to assist the people of the Archdiocese and other
Archdiocesan agencies in witnessing to the fact that all cultures bring unique gifts and
talents to the Body of Christ. It is a witness to the universality of the Church and a
resource for the continuance of Christ's mission on earth. As such, it is one of the many
threads of the tapestry which symbolizes not only the Church of Boston, but also the Roman
Catholic Church as a whole.
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