The Office of Black Catholic Ministry is distributing hundreds of African American Youth Bibles to schools and parishes across the diocese. The Bibles are funded through a grant from the Extension Society and Black and Indian Missions.
Holly Springs Holy Family School and Jackson Sister Thea Bowman School have already received a few dozen copies each and parishes in the diocese will also receive copies to add to their libraries or provide to their youth groups.
“The purpose of this new edition of the Bible is to provide a fully illustrated view of the Bible that is culturally relevant to youth of all backgrounds. It’s educational and provides a view of the Bible in a way that engages youth and adults through full color maps and easily digestible chronological history,” said Will Jemison, coordinator for the Office of Black Catholic Ministry. “It also stands out through its reference to the evil of slavery and how it relates to African American experience,” he said.
The Bible, published in January, 2015, was the result of years of research and work by retired Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, who is president of the National Black Catholic Congress, and St. Mary’s Press.