THE
FRAMEWORK
A participatory, Spirit-led process
grounded in reflection, imagination,
and collective discernment.
A new way of seeing. A way of proceeding.
Stay Connected.
This work draws inspiration from the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter, What We Have Seen and Heard (1984).
That document named the lived reality, faith, and witness of Black Catholics in the United States.
This Initiative builds on that foundation
not by repeating it,
but by extending its vision
into the present moment.
What we are doing now is both retrieval and reimagining.
Our Way of Proceeding
This work is intentionally structured, but not rigid.
It is guided by:
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The movement of the Spirit
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The wisdom of community
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Our collective inheritance from the Ancestors
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The discipline of reflection
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The courage to imagine differently
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Love of Black people and the God-given gift of Blackness
Participants are invited to contribute what they can, recognizing that flourishing is not produced by exhaustion, but by alignment.
At the heart of the Initiative is a guiding inquiry, which shapes everything that follows:
What might be required for Black Catholic life to truly flourish?
What might be required, what new ways of thinking, worshiping, praying, and being together; what transformations of structures and spirit might be necessary for Black and Catholic people to thrive in society and today’s Church?
1
Service Name
How might you define Black Catholic flourishing?
2
Activating our sacred imaginations, what does the spirit provoke the creativity of the mind to see, intuit, and understand when visioning Black and/or Black Catholic flourishing?
3
Service Name
In light of what you have imagined, what must be transformed in our particular area of focus? Who is present? What will allow us to know when we are thriving and flourishing?
Three Guiding Questions
SIX AREAS OF FOCUS
The Initiative is organized around six key areas of Black Catholic life. Each is led by a pair of conversation partners who guide listening, reflection, and data collection.
Whole Person:
Black Life and Brilliance
Black Family & Community
Black Spirituality & Formation
Black Liturgy & Worship
Black Catholic Education & Evangelization
Black Philanthropy & Stewardship
THE REIMAGINELUTION VISIONING & DISCERNMENT PROCESS
We pause, integrate, and grow in wisdom.
EDUCATION (UN/LEARNING)
SHARE
INSIGHTS
DIALOGUE
ACROSS DIFFERENCE
IMAGINATIVE
PRACTICE
CONSENSUS
BUILDING
REFLECTION
ACTION
We unlearn what does not serve and learn what liberates.
We listen deeply and honor every voice.
We dialogue across difference knowing that difference is generative. We listen for understanding and not agreement.
We imagine boldly and envision new possibilities while praying with our imaginations.
We discern together and align in purpose.
We act with courage, faith, and prophetic hope.
WHAT WE ARE BUILDING
Through this process, the Initiative is working toward:
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A shared definition of Black Catholic flourishing
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A collective vision statement grounded in community insight
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A framework for action across Church, scholarship, and philanthropy
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A planning document to guide future investment and engagement
We are laying a foundation for ongoing transformation. We are building a movement for the dignity of Black lives and Black people in alignment with the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching.
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This is more than research.
It is a movement of reimagining.
It is Black & Catholic faith-in-action.
Black Christ Mural, DeVon Cunningham, 1968