A St. Monica Homecoming
In August, Sacred Heart Cathedral celebrated St. Monica’s Feast with a reunion of the people who belonged to St. Monica’s Parish (1930-1968) or St. Monica School or both. It is sort of a homecoming celebration, where people gather to renew friendships and to reminisce about the good days of being part of that Raleigh community.
St. Monica School existed to provide quality education for children of African Ancestry. The school was staffed by Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, from the Scranton, PA, branch of the Order. Interestingly the first Superior General of this Order of Sisters was of African Ancestry. She was in the founding group of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, which was the first Order of African Ancestry Sisters.
Among the people present at the celebration was Rev. P. Kimberleigh Jordan. Her mother attended St. Monica at the same time I did, and Rev. Jordan attended Cathedral School while I was Rector of the Cathedral. She never became Catholic, but became a prominent minister in The United Church of Christ. Today she is the Associate Pastor of the prestigious Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, the first woman and the first person of African Ancestry to hold this position.
African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization was founded to nurture the faith of Catholics of African Ancestry and to reconcile those who fell away from the Church when their churches and schools were closed or merged, as well as to offer the Catholic Church as a church home to the unchurched. And each year the St. Monica celebration includes the presentation of the St. Monica Award, created by African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization to recognize an elder in the African Ancestry community of the Diocese of Raleigh.
This year’s recipient was Curtis DeLoatch, the founder and President of the Cathedral Chapter of African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization. Curtis is very involved in the Cathedral Parish. He is a member of the Parish Council and of the Spiritual Choir, for which he often serves as Cantor. Under his leadership the chapter sponsors an Annual Event for Black History Month. He also is active in the work of the Office of African Ancestry Ministry and Evangelization.
- Msgr. Thomas P. Hadden