Photo By MARIBETH JOERIGHT
Local African and African American Catholics gathered recently at the Fatima Family Center to celebrate the heritage and culture of Africa.
Local African and African American Catholics gathered recently at the Fatima Family Center to celebrate the heritage and culture of Africa.
Sharing the Faith of Africa with others
African Catholic community celebrates spirit and culture
CLEVELAND-Moses and Helen Yonly left their native Liberia three years ago with war all around them and made their way to Northeast Ohio.
While they could speak English, they knew little of American life. They had to be taught how to do many things that most Americans take for granted, like turning on the heat to their furnace, shopping at stores, registering their children for school, etc. The Yonly family had come from a completely different culture in a country located so close to the equator that the temperature rarely dipped below sweltering.
Even after enduring the cold temperatures of the Cleveland winters, they both agreed, “We love it here.”
“We left because of war in our old country. We were often in fear for our lives and our children’s lives,” said Helen. “There is no war here.”
The African Catholic community in Cleveland wrapped their collective welcoming arms around the Yonly family and other African immigrants and refugees, who have recently made their way to America, in a celebration of song, music, food and faith.
The sixth annual celebration called, “Sharing the Faith of Africa: Rooted in Christ’s Love” was held at the Fatima Family Center at East 66th Street and Lexington Avenue on June 29 and was hosted this year by St. Agnes-Our Lady of Fatima Parish.
“This parish has a long history of hospitality in the community and this was another opportunity to live this out, not just the neighborhood community but the larger community,” said Franciscan Father Bob Marva, pastor of the parish.
The event drew about 250 people and has been growing each year said Vanessa Griffin Campbell, director of African-American Ministries for the Cleveland Diocese.
“We had a full house,” exclaimed Griffin Campbell. “It was an overflow crowd with a quite a few people standing and sitting just outside the doors in the lobby to participate in the Mass,” she added.
The Mass was held with an African theme. Many attendees wore very colorful native clothing and some songs were in Swahili. Following the Mass was a festival of authentic African-style food, mostly rice, chicken and beef-based foods with a number of fruits. Of course, there was plenty of fellowship among the attendees.
In true African tradition, the Offertory gifts that were presented were both symbolic and practical. Parishioners and friends brought not only food, but garden tools, seeds and practical items for cooking and eating that were distributed to people in need.
The diversity within the African community was remindful as about a dozen countries were represented at this celebration to pray and worship as one people.
“That’s the gift of the Church,” said Notre Dame Sister Rita Mary Harwood, secretary for Diocesan Parish Life and Development. “We are not strangers to one another, we are not foreigners, when we come together like this, we are brothers and sisters.”
In his inspirational homily, Father Constantine Shikuku, AJ, a native of Ghana, said, “America is the land of opportunity. That is no secret.”
But he cautioned, “Money is not everything. We should ask ourselves, What do we really need? We need to work on relationships. We need to a little more we, and a little less I,” Father Constantine added.
It is this willingness to extend a helping hand to those new to our culture that makes this annual celebration play such an important role in the transition to the American lifestyle for these newcomers.
Our country’s history is dotted with many different ethnic groups who banded and bonded together to help newly-immigrated people to assimilate into the American society and culture. So to, have the African community rallied to help those African natives as they enter into American society said Deacon Bill Merriman.
Added Griffin Campbell, “We share one common faith--we are one when we unite in Christ. This celebration brought about a sense of community as well as support to those new to America. It is a way to enable as well as empower them.”
She recalled a story in the early years of the Sharing the Faith program. “Several of our committee members went to the West Side Market with a recent African immigrant to purchase food for the event. The woman preferred to walk out of there with the box of food on her head instead of carrying the bags of food at her side. That was the way she had done it in her native country,” smiled Griffin Campbell.
It seems that some habits are a little more difficult to break.
Mieskoski is a freelance writer.
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