St. Joseph’s Catholic Church / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // African American Catholic church communities in Cincinnati are concerned that their archdiocese’s restructuring program to address declining Mass attendance and availability of priests means parishes will have to close, which would jeopardize the heart of black Catholic life in the city.
Historically, African American communities have relied on specific parishes not only for spiritual nourishment but also cultural identity and social cohesion, according to Soapbox Cincinnati.
Deacon Royce Winters, director of African American Ministries for the archdiocese, explained how urban planning decisions from decades ago continue to shape today’s Church.
“When neighborhoods were split apart, our African American parishes lost the very people, the very families, that sustained them,” the deacon told Soapbox. “It wasn’t just the breaking up of homes; it was the beginning of a spiritual and cultural unraveling that we’re still trying to mend today.”
He stated that since he has been in the diocese, the number of African American parishes has dwindled from more than 10 to just three. The article states that such parishes are often smaller and more vulnerable to closures. Dcn. Winters serves at one of those remaining parishes, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cincinnati’s West End.
The archdiocese has acknowledged concerns about closures and explained that it wants to build sustainable parish communities, the article stated.
“We have a responsibility to make the best use of all the means which God has provided us to pursue the mission of the Church to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples,” the Beacons of Light program website states. “With this as our goal, parishes need to be vibrant, evangelizing communities that continuously draw parishioners and attract new members into a more intimate relationship with Jesus.”
