Background The historical precedent for the Congress emerged from the Colored Catholic Congress that took place on January 1–4, 1889. The National Black Catholic Congress was founded by Daniel Rudd, a Black Catholic journalist and activist from Kentucky (though based elsewhere throughout his life). His movement lasted only a few years before folding for unknown reasons. During the
Black Catholic Movement of the late 60s to early 90s, the
National Office for Black Catholics (NOBC) emerged. Leadership disputes foiled the lay caucus, however, and the NOBC eventually folded as well, giving way to NABCA, an organization made up of all the African-American diocesan front office professionals in the US.
Founding NABCA proposed a revived Congress in the late 80s, after which they brought in the NBCCC and NBSC for further planning. The first meeting was held in 1987, and featured a series of inculturated "Gospel Masses", an African-American form of the Catholic Mass that had emerged in recent decades as part of the Black Catholic Movement. They also developed a pastoral plan, which was to inform and govern Black ministry in dioceses around the country.
Subsequent gatherings The Congress convened every five years after the inaugural gathering, and in the 1990s funded the construction of the
Our Mother of Africa Chapel in the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.
21st century In 2017, Bishop
Roy E. Campbell was elected president of the NBCC, succeeding Ricard. In March 2021, the NBCC announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 gathering would be pushed to 2023. == Pastoral Plan ==