“Black Sisters Testify” in Series of Stories for Black Catholic History Month

For Immediate Release: October 31, 2022
Contact: Colleen Ross | cross@networklobby.org | 202-601-7877

“Black Sisters Testify” in Series of Stories for Black Catholic History Month
Sr. Addie Lorraine Walker: “The heroic contribution of Black Catholic Sisters is so often overlooked.”

WASHINGTON – Black Catholic Sisters will share their stories through a variety of media formats during November, Black Catholic History Month, as NETWORK and the National Black Sisters’ Conference come together to present the series “Black Sisters Testify.”

NETWORK will share essays, interviews, and profile of Black Sisters on the NETWORK website, social media, and on “Just Politics,” NETWORK’s new podcast produced with U.S. Catholic. The Sisters participating in the series range from Sisters who helped found the National Black Sisters’ Conference in 1968 to a young Sister who has not yet made final vows.

“Black Catholic Sisters are among the most distinguished justice-seekers in this country and have been for decades,” said Mary J. Novak, Executive Director of NETWORK. “We are honored to center the journeys of these extraordinary women as an integral part of the story of faith lived out at the service of others, even in the face of racism and neglect. That is the story these Sisters have written with their lives.”

“The heroic contribution of Black Catholic Sisters is so often overlooked, and we are pleased to work with NETWORK to highlight the stories of these women,” said Sr. Addie Lorraine Walker, SSND, President of the National Black Sisters’ Conference. “This November, we celebrate the witness of their lives.”

“Black Sisters Testify” will begin on November 1, All Saints Day, with an essay by Sr. Barbara Beasley, RGS. NETWORK will post and share new content each week over the course of November.

###

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice – advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters – educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. With a 50-year record of accomplishment and more than 100,000 supporters across the country, NETWORK advocates for federal policies that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good.
www.networklobby.org

Established in August 1968, the National Black Sisters’ Conference (NBSC) is an inclusive Catholic organization of vowed Black Catholic Women Religious and Associates from many congregations of religious across the United States. The NBCS holds an annual meeting and co-sponsors a joint conference of NBSC, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC), National Association of Black Catholic Deacons (NABCD) and their wives, and the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association (NBCSA).
www.nbsc68.com