100 Black Catholic Saints: Why am I doing this?
Why am I dedicating the next couple of months to writing about a Black saint a day?
In recent weeks, Catholics all over the US have looked at their statues and icons and realized that the saints looking back at them are almost exclusively white. The protests outside their doors and the nightly news have made them hyper-aware of this. When they asked themselves to name a Black saint, they might have St. Martin de Porres, but that’s about it. Our church is statistically becoming more and more brown-skinned every day as the Church in the US and Europe dies and it flourishes in Africa and Central and South America. There has to be statues and icons to reflect this. There has to be Black saints.
I believe that Black Lives Matter. While as a caregiver, I cannot join others in the streets, I can share my pen to give some inspiration and help bring attention to some holy men and women who can be added to your home altars and your devotions.
Each day’s reading will include a short biography about the saint (or person on their way to canonization) and if I can find an official prayer to the person or links to anyone selling icons or statues I will share them.
