Parade to kick off Nov. 5 Black Saints Celebration

Clarion Herald file photo of the 2015 Black Saints Celebration at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in New Orleans by Beth Donze.

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

The 2022 Black Saints Celebration, “Answering the Call to Be a Servant Leader,” will take to the streets of the Ninth Ward on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The event’s traditional Parade of Black Saints will kick off the event, with participants asked to line up at Bunny Friend Playground, 1903 Desire St. in New Orleans, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The parade will start at 11 a.m.

The walking procession, with marchers holding aloft images of Black saints, will make its way to St. Mary of the Angels Church, 3501 N. Miro St. in New Orleans, in time for a 12:30 p.m. prayer service with guest preacher, Josephite Father Anthony Bozeman, the former pastor of St. Raymond-St. Leo the Great Parish. Father Bozeman currently serves as academic dean of St. Joseph’s Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Ansel Augustine, director of the sponsoring Office of Black Catholic Ministries, was excited about the resumption of the Black Saints Celebration following an absence of several years due to COVID-19 and other factors.

“November is Black Catholic History Month, so this is the event the (archdiocesan) office sponsors to commemorate that,” Augustine said, noting that parishes and schools design their own events to raise awareness of the church’s recognized Black saints and the many holy men and women of color who are on the road to sainthood.

During the prayer service, the 2022 recipients of the Mrs. Sophie Aramburo Servant Leader Award, given to outstanding Catholics from traditionally African-American parishes across the Archdiocese of New Orleans, will be honored. The award is named for the first associate director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries.

A reception will follow the prayer service in the St. Mary of the Angels gym, located across the street from the church, at 2225 Congress St. In the event of inclement weather, participants will be asked to go directly to St. Mary of the Angels Church for the 12:30 p.m. prayer service and award ceremony.

For more information, call (504) 861-6207 or email [email protected].