The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis works collaboratively with the Vicar for Catholics of African Descent and the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization to provide support, resources, and advocacy for catechists and catechetical leaders who serve our African, African American, and Caribbean Catholic communities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. 

For more information, contact Amy Auzenne, OEC Director, at aauzenne@archgh.org / 713-741-8796

Upcoming Events

Sr. Thea Bowman Conference at Catholic University of America

Washington DC | March 27-30, 2025

This FREE conference will explore the life and legacy of Sister Thea Bowman in the Catholic Church, her connection with The Catholic University of America and Washington, D.C., and the status of her canonization. Sister Bowman earned her Ph. D. in English from the University in 1972. As an alum of the University, CUA wants to increase the community’s knowledge of Sr. Thea and to raise her profile on campus and throughout the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan community, including the archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore, and the diocese of Arlington. The conference is being held on the eve of the 35th anniversary of Sister Bowman’s homegoing. Click here for conference details.

A group will be traveling to the conference from the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston.  Our itinerary will include the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  For more information please contact Amy Auzenne at aauzenne@archgh.org 

Community Conversations

Sessions meet virtually from 10am-noon on the third Wednesday of each month.

Using the USCCB's pastoral letter on racism, "Open Wide Our Hearts" as a guide, these monthly dialogues seek to provide safe space for difficult conversations about race, faith, and justice that are grounded in our Catholic teaching of the dignity of the human person.  Each session features a talk by a knowledgeable expert, followed by small group discussion.  All are welcome! Click here to register.

Wednesday, January 15: The "Jim Crown North" and the Untold Struggle for Civil Rights In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Community Conversations will feature a talk from Dr. Matthew Washington, author of The Jim Crow North: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Dr. Washington will speak about the often untold struggle for civil rights outside of the southern states, including how an inter-racial working class alliance in Pottstown, Pennsylvania was instrumental in working for racial justice in that state.

Wednesday, February 19: The Gift of the Black Catholic Family  Servant of God Thea Bowman famously asked, "What does it mean to be Black and Catholic?" In honor of Black History Month, Fr. Reginald Samuels, Pastor of St. Laurence Church and Vicar for Catholics of African Descent, will help us unpack recent surveys that point to the gifts of Black Catholic families such as resilience, faithfulness, and family unity.  How might these gifts be received by the universal Church?

Wednesday, March 19: Open Wide Our Hearts Overview and Update  Seven years after the publication of the latest USCCB document to address the sin of racism, how has it impacted the way that race and social justice are discussed in the Catholic Church?  Ms. Danielle Brown, former Director of the USCCB AdHoc Committee Against Racism, will join us to discuss what changes have we seen (or not seen) in our parishes and Catholic institutions.

Wednesday, April 16: The Shroud of Turin, Mystery and Miracle Join us during Holy Week for an enlightening talk by Nora Creech, an expert on the Shroud of Turin which is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus.  How can contemplating the human face of Christ, help us to see the face of God in all people?

Wednesday, May 21: TBD

Wednesday, June 18: Delexit Nos - The Human Heart of Christ Amy Auzenne, MSW, MACE will lead a discussion on Delexit Nos, Pope Francis' encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  How can we experience the divine love of God in our daily human existence?  And how can we be a source of that love to others in this fraught and divided society?

Wednesday, July 19: Fr. Martin de Porres Ward, Our Brother in Brazil Brother Douglass McMillian, OFM, will speak about Franciscan friar Fr. Martin de Porres Ward,  a 20th-century African American priest who overcame great personal and social obstacles to become a beloved mentor and missionary in Brazil. In 2024, Fr. Ward became the seventh African American to have his cause for sainthood officially opened.

Wednesday, August 20: TBD

Wednesday, September 17: Latino Youth - Gifts and Challenges  Latino youth are one of the fastest growing demographics in the United States. Jeanette Gonzalez, Associate Director for the Archdiocesan Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization, will help us understand the unique gifts and challenges of this important group of young people, and how they are shaping the future of our communities.

Wednesday, October 15: TBD

Wednesday, November 19: TBD

Wednesday, December 10: TBD

Click here to register for this virtual meeting.

Previous Programs

Professional Growth Day for Religious Educators: "What Our Students Don't Know About Black Catholic History (and Why It Matters)" (January 2024)  Workshop with with Kaye Crawford, Th.M, founder of  BlackCatholicHistory.com

"Songs of Our Hearts, Meditations of Our Souls: A Lenten Morning of Prayer in the African American Catholic Tradition" (February 2024)  at St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church. Featuring reflections from catechetical leaders and clergy of the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston, with music from the Catholic African American Ministry Choir. Click here to view a recording of this program.

American Saints and Blesseds: Venerable Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange (July 2024) Conversation with Sr. Magdala Marie Gilbert, OSP Director for the Mother Lange Guild about the life and legacy of Venerable Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, an Cuban-Haitian immigrant who founded the first religious community for women of African descent in the United States in Baltimore, Maryland in 1829. Click here to view a recording of this program and enter the password AmericanBlesseds3*

American Saints and Blesseds: Venerable Henriette Delille (July 2024) Presentation by OEC Director Amy Auzenne, MSW, MACE on Henriette Delille, who founded the second religious community for women of African descent in the United States in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1837. Click here to view a recording of this program