Doing the work that UNITES THE CHURCH

By Bridget Locke | Photo by Christy Gruenbaum

In 1986, the Black Catholic Implementation Team (BCIT) was founded by Bishop John J. Sullivan to support the African-American Catholic Apostolate in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in expressing the concerns of the Black Catholic community, and society at large, to the diocese. Over the years, the BCIT has presented keynote speakers and theatrical productions, facilitated workshops and assembled social justice discussion groups in an effort to educate the entire diocese about the unique experiences of African-American people in the faith.

Preceded in service by the late Father Robert Stewart and Sister Barbara A. Moore, CSJ (1986-1990) and Deborah A. Scott (1990-1992), Deacon Ken Greene, a parishioner of Kansas City’s historic St. Monica Catholic Church, is the third convener of the BCIT and has served in this capacity since 1992. He remains committed to doing the work that unites the Church — which often entails having conversations with people from different backgrounds and life experiences to build common understanding.

From April to September 2022, the BCIT participated in the Precious Blood Center’s Anti-Racism Study Group, examining race consciousness through the study of The Hill We Climb, the poem written and recited by Amanda Gorman for the 2021 inauguration of President Joseph Biden, Jr. and Vice President Kamala Harris. Currently, the BCIT participates in the Visitation/St. Monica Racial Justice Study Group to discuss various topics. Both groups, averaging 10-20 people, began in virtual conference settings.

In addition to making connections within the diocese, the BCIT links with groups outside to expand their experiences and perspectives.

Every five years, the Baltimore, Maryland-based National Black Catholic Congress hosts a three-day event that convenes Black Catholics from the United States, South America and the Caribbean Islands. The BCIT has sent delegates to every gathering since 1986, and in July 2023, will send another group to National Harbor, Maryland, for this year’s meeting. Greene, who will attend, anticipates how the gathering will enhance his home parish, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the Church at large.

“We will use the time to learn, prepare new catechisms and evolve in our ways of worshiping. Then, we’ll take these ideas back home to our local parishes,” he said.

Greene has also spent several summers in New Orleans, attending Xavier University of Louisiana’s Institute for Black Catholic Studies. He encourages others to engage nationally to broaden their exposure and infuse fresh approaches into their religious experiences. Communicating intentionally to ensure that your spiritual development needs are met is also important, he believes.

“Speak up. Ask leaders to provide what you need to grow,” said Greene. “Encourage them to invite the ‘outside’ in. It’s very important to hear others’ voices and to learn from a variety of people.”

Have you ever played the telephone game? You whisper a phrase in a person’s ear, then they whisper to the next person, and so on. Eventually, it comes back around to you, and it’s nothing like what you said. People forget. They misunderstand. Things get lost in translation. So how can we be sure after 2,000 years we have the truth handed down to the apostles from Jesus? The Magisterium.

From the beginning, the Church realized the importance of handing on the apostles’ teaching and preserving its integrity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 77) says, “In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church, the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them ‘their own position of teaching authority.’” the Pope, and the bishops in communion with him form the present-day Magisterium.

We see this in Scripture where Paul admonishes his successor Timothy to “guard the deposit entrusted to you.” (2 Tim 6:20) The Greek word for deposit is “paratheke.” It means something of great value, a treasure consigned to another for safekeeping. Being a bishop, a successor of the apostles, carried this sacred trust to safeguard, preserve and faithfully hand on, without error, the Deposit of Faith. And there was no shortage of errors.

Early on, people created mixtures of Christianity, pagan religions and dualistic philosophies like Manichaeism. How could you know actual Christian teaching? You must go to a bishop who could trace his lineage to an apostle, and the Church kept meticulous records for this purpose.

Looking for more?

Dive into the Ascension Press Catechism in a Year podcast or YouTube series; Days 1013 relate directly to the teaching of sacred tradition, sacred Scripture and the Magisterium.

“It is the Magisterium’s task to preserve God’s people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error ... To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church’s shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.” (CCC 890)

Marc Cardaronella is the director of the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation.

The apostles were the authority. They were, in fact, the first Magisterium. Magister is a Latin word meaning teacher or master, as in the master of a subject. In the Middle Ages, a university licensed a magister to teach as an authority. We get the modern-day term “master’s degree” from this. A magisterium is a teaching body or office with teaching authority. The apostles were the authority, and they gave that authority to their successors. Just as Peter and the apostles formed the first Magisterium, the successor of Peter,

God is obliged to provide a means for us to know the truth. If we are held accountable for it, in justice, he must give us an unfailing way to know it. That way is the Magisterium. Through the Holy Spirit’s power, the Magisterium preserves the teaching handed down from the apostles, so we can be sure it’s not a telephone game. When new cultural and societal developments challenge our understanding of the Gospel, the Magisterium guides us in the correct response. It does this by listening to the apostolic teaching and making new pronouncements. Finally, the Magisterium expounds the deposit of teaching to lead us into liberating truth.

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