BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2008

‘African Saints, African Stories’ – tales now told

Posted

PROVIDENCE – Camille Lewis Brown believes everyone has an important story to tell.

Dr. Brown, who was appointed education coordinator of the diocesan Catholic School Office three months ago, is the author of a new book titled “African Saints, African Stories: 40 Holy Men and Women” that profiles ordinary men and women who lived extraordinary lives.

“I discovered that the saints were everyday people just like us,” noted Dr. Brown in a recent interview. “They had struggles and disappointments. They realized they had God’s grace that helped to overcome their struggle.

“That leaves hope for us,” she continued. “We have a chance to obtain God’s grace. We have a guide, which is the Gospel. That’s the exciting part.”

While the book discusses the compelling lives of 40 people called by God to live holy lives, there are 600 notable Catholics of African descent whose stories are seldom told. These pious individuals are listed in a compendireaders to conduct additional research on the history and development of Catholicism in Africa up to the present day. “The African saints are relatively unknown,” Brown said.

The African men and women included are declared saints, blesseds or venerables in the Catholic Church, as well as what Brown describes as “saints in waiting.” This latter group includes individuals who have not yet received official recognition from the church, but who contributed to the faith and are members of the communion of saints.

Brown, a former Catholic school principal in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and adjunct professor at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, PA, said the book is a result of an article she wrote several years ago for the National Black Catholic Congress website, and a course on African saints that she created and taught at the seminary. It took nine years to complete the research for the exhaustive project and two years to write the comprehensive book, Brown said.

One chapter discusses the inspirational life of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese slave who was brought to Italy to work as a nursemaid for a wealthy family. When the slave owners move to another part of Italy to deal with business matters, they entrusted the domestic worker and a small child to the temporary care of the Cannosian Sisters of Charity in Schio, outside of Venice. St. Josephine Bakhita lived from 1868-1947.

When the family returned, Bakhita refused to return; and since Italy had outlawed slavery, she was free to join the religious community, where she was given the name Josephine. The devout religious sister worked in the convent for more than 50 years, performing domestic chores and serving as the porter.

Sister Josephine Bakhita always embraced the poor and suffering who came to the convent door, and was called “Our Black Mother” by the townspeople.

“She was known for her great faith,” Brown said. “People believe that her prayers spared the town during the war.”

The author noted that when the future saint died, mothers brought their children to her casket and placed her hands on their heads to invoke her protection and God’s blessing.

St. Josephine Bakhita was canonized on October 1, 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

“I would love to have the book in as many hands as possible,” Brown said of her latest project. “The book gives the saints a voice.”

Brown has established The Bakhita Fund to honor the saint. The nonprofit organization raises money to purchase school supplies, clothing and sports equipment for impoverished children living in Benin, Ghana and Nigeria. The author travels every summer to Africa to visit with the fund’s recipients and to distribute supplies. She can be contacted at 401-278-4550.

The 152-page book was published by St. Anthony Messenger Press and is available at local bookstores or can be ordered online at http://catalog.americancatholic.org.