Uncommon Faithfulness: The Witness of African American Catholics Conference

If the heart of Christianity is remaining faithful, both in season and out of season, no one has more to teach their fellow believers than African American Catholics, who have remained steadfast in their faith against all odds. Building on the pioneering research of visionary leaders like those in the Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) at Xavier University in New Orleans and the Black Catholic Theological Symposium (BCTS), this conference will examine the latest scholarship on Black Catholics in history and theology, explore critical issues for the ongoing development of African American Catholic studies, and celebrate and enhance the vitality of Black Catholic life in the United States.

The Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame, in conjunction with conference convener LaReine-Marie Mosely of the Department of Theology and faculty from the African and African-American Studies Program, will convene a conference entitled "Uncommon Faithfulness: The Witness of African American Catholics" from March 11-14, 2004. Eighteen conference speakers include renowned experts on Black Catholics in the United States such as Dr. Shawn Copeland (Boston College), Dr. Jamie Phelps (Professor and Director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans), Dr. Albert Raboteau (Princeton University), Dr. Diana Hayes (Georgetown University), Dr. Diane Batts Morrow (University of Georgia at Athens), Dr. Katrina M. Sanders (University of Iowa), Father Cyprian Davis (St. Meinrad School of Theology), Dr. Cecilia Moore (University of Dayton), Dr. Anthea Butler (Loyola Marymount University), and Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory (President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).