‘A BEACON FOR INCLUSION’

Black Catholic Apostolate has offered Mass and community for over four decades

Brenda Rivera, Sarah Ukpere, Dr. Mbuyi Mukendi (back), Abigail Fiadjoe and Mesfin Solomon, parishioners at St. Joan of Arc and members of the Black Catholic Apostolate, attend their parish’s 41st anniversary Mass. (Emily Benson photo)

Every Sunday, dozens of families gather at the Black Catholic Apostolate (BCA) in Menands to celebrate Mass. It’s a routine many Catholics follow, but more than a day of obligatory attendance, Sunday at the BCA is a day of joy.

Each Mass here is truly celebrated, not just attended. There is singing and clapping, vocal praise to the Lord, and a vibrant community of love. The apostolate first opened its doors in 1984 in hopes of serving and supporting the Black Catholic community in the Capital District, offering a place where African, Caribbean and Black culture is intertwined with the Catholic faith. 

And on Sunday, Aug. 10, the Black Catholic Apostolate was proud to celebrate its 41st anniversary with a special Mass, led by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, and a reception. 

“We’re celebrating the 41st anniversary of the Black Apostolate in the Diocese, and every time I celebrate an anniversary, I can’t help but think it’s more than just a number,” Bishop Ed said in his homily. “I asked Father Kofi beforehand how many people we had in the parish, (around 250), and if we multiply that by 40 — 40 years of human experience — that comes out to be, if my math is correct, 10,000 years. That’s a lot of experience!”

“We praise God that we are here after 41 years,” said Brenda Rivera, parishioner and co-chair of the anniversary committee. 

Dr. Mbuyi Mukendi leads the choir at Mass.

 

Brenda Rivera hands Bishop Scharfenberger a thank you gift for celebrating the BCA's anniversary Mass. 

Founded by Father Kofi Ntsiful-Amissah, an African priest from Ghana and current pastor of the apostolate, the BCA hoped to bring Black Catholics together who were searching for a more spirit-filled liturgy that incorporated the music and rhythm of the African and Caribbean cultures. 

And while much has changed over the years, “that need has not,” said Rivera. 

“I think that’s why we exist because that need is still felt in the Albany Diocese,” she said. “So for us, it’s God continuing to bless us. If the need isn’t there, that’s another issue, but the need is there, and we see it every time a new member finds the church.”

The apostolate, which is run out of St. Joan of Arc in Menands, is more than a place of worship for Black Catholics; it’s a place of refuge and community.

“We see this as a lighthouse, a beacon for inclusion,” said Sarah Ukpere, parishioner. “Everyone is welcome, all backgrounds. Black, African, Caribbean, the works. We all just feel at home. This is our spiritual home. We each have our own individual homes where we go and you have a roof over our head, but here we bring our hearts and our souls for refuge.” 

Dr. Mbuyi Mukendi, choir leader, said that everybody here is like “brothers and sisters.”

“If we don’t know each other by name then we know each other by face,” she said. “We feel the pain of each other and we participate in the joys of each other. It makes us very unique in that way.”

“I joined about 10 years ago, and I would say it’s like a family; it’s a home,” said Mesfin Solomon. “I’ve been to many churches before but this feels right, and I don’t have to pretend to be somebody.”

An integral piece of this is Father Kofi, who Rivera calls “the cement” of the community. He learns every parishioner’s name and will tell everyone, individually, that he is praying for them. If a parishioner is celebrating a milestone or going through a hard time, he’ll invite them to the front altar for the congregation to pray over. 

“It’s a very powerful energy that you feel during Mass,” Abigail Fiadjoe, parishioner and junior at Colonie Central High School. “You feel just embraced and surrounded by love, family and culture.”

Father Kofi hands out food at the reception.

 

Parishioners preform a traditional dance routine.

 At the end of his homily, the Bishop called on the congregation to bring that energy and the experience of their lives and their parish into the world: “Each and every one of you has a powerful experience,” Bishop Ed said. “Some of it may have ups, some of it may have downs. You may question at times whether or not God is listening. You may question at times if he loves you, he does. Take that experience, that love, and bring it to everyone you meet. The world needs that.”

“I often think of us being an example of Vatican II,” Rivera said. After Vatican II allowed churches to offer the Mass in their native languages, not just Latin, many hoped the change would help Catholics feel more engaged in the Mass and increase understanding and participation. 

“That’s how I see ourselves,” she said. “Being there and available for people coming from other places, other countries who are accustomed to having a more upbeat, vibrant Mass, to be able to still have that available here in the Albany Diocese, because I don’t know if the Albany Diocese has anything similar.” 

Added Rivera: “We’re hopeful that we can continue as an apostle reaching out to our community; reaching out and bringing in people who like to worship the way we worship.”