Christ in All: Inculturation and the Mission of Saint Benedict the Moor Parish by Henry Anybuoke
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July 31, 2025
On February 23, 2020, Bishop David Zubik announced the establishment of a personal parish for the black Catholic Community in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, under the title of Saint Benedict the Moor Parish, effective July 13, 2020. This is an evangelical approach through the process of inculturation to respond to the specific spiritual needs of the Black Catholic Community and provide them the opportunity to practice their Catholic faith in their own unique cultural heritage.
As a personal parish, anyone who desires to experience the uniqueness of this Black Catholic Community and be a member of Saint Benedict the Moor Parish is welcome to join. This is evident in the second reading of today, which reminds us that here in the house of God, there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeborn; but Christ is all and in all.
Therefore, inculturation represents the integration of the Christian experience of a local Church into the culture of its people, in such a way that this experience not only expresses itself in elements of this culture, but becomes a force that animates, orients and innovates this culture so as to create a new unity and communion, not only within the culture in question, but also as an enrichment of the universal Church.
To enrich the universal Church, Saint Benedict the Moor Parish, as a beacon of inculturation, strives to integrate the message of the Gospel into the cultural context of the Black Catholic Community while preserving the integrity of the Catholic faith. It serves as a model for how the Church can engage with diverse cultures and allow them to express the Gospel in new and meaningful ways.
May the Church’s universal call to evangelization bear fruit in our lives as we communally and continuously engage in the process of inculturation in Saint Benedict the Moor Parish.