The Third African National Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in Washington, August 5-7,will highlight the gifts, contributions, challenges and evangelization opportunities of African immigrant families in the Catholic Church in the United States.
The gathering brings together African Catholic ministry leaders from around the country, and takes place every five years. This year’s theme is «Responding to the New Evangelization: The African Catholic Family, A Gift to the Church in America.»
Highlights of the three-day event include a keynote address by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on African American Affairs.
A special workshop on the Zairean Rite, an African Catholic rite, will be directed by Cardinal Laurent Mosengwo Pasinya of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, Congo. The workshop will be followed by a practical demonstration of the rite during Saturday’s liturgical celebration presided by Cardinal Mosengwo. The closing Mass will be presided by Bishop Joseph N. Perry, auxiliary bishop of Chicago, and a member of the USCCB Subcommittee on African American Affairs. Sessions will address issues such as youth and young adults, living among different cultures, and an awards ceremony for the best youth essay.
The Third African National Eucharistic Congress will be held at Catholic University of America, Pryzbyla Hall. The event is organized by the USCCB’s Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in collaboration with the National Association of African Catholics in the United States (NAACUS), and the African Conference of Catholic Clergy and Religious in the United States (ACCCRUS).
More information, including registration, schedule and speakers, can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/pastoral-care-of-migrants-refugees-and-travelers/ethnic-ministries/african-national-eucharistic-congress.cfm
