10 Things to Know About the BCI

October, 2017

The Lord Be With You 
  Just like the Faith, the Drum works for us if you pass it on.

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1. LET US PRAY

A Prayer For “Renew My Church”

Lord Jesus, you speak to us today,
as you spoke to holy men and women
who have gone before us.
In every age and in our own time,
you call to us and say: Renew My Church.
Pour out the gift of your Holy Spirit upon us,
and so enable us

to hear you clearly
to listen to each other attentively
to imagine our future boldly
to discern your direction wisely
to persevere in your holy will courageously
to stay together in charity
to surrender our own plans readily
to embrace the greater good
to hand on your gifts to future generations.

May we remain in the holy company of
the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the Apostles, and all the saints.
May their example and presence
inspire us with patient confidence
in the work of your grace.
We ask this of you who
live and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen
Lord, Hear Our Prayer!

BCI

312-577-0475
2. WHILE YOU WERE PRAYING

3. NEXT CHANCE TO JOIN BCI
4. FROM BISHOP PERRY

We Yearn For Peace!

My late father was a World War II veteran who was assigned (1942-1945) to the European Theatre. That generation of men has been dubbed the greatest generation for reasons of their patriotism, their family values, and work ethic. It has also been suggested that many of the WWII veterans that returned home had been made pacifists by the ravages of experience connected with that war. The sons they spawned turned out the Vietnam War generation – my generation – who fought that war, others of whom became draft dodgers and pacifists, protesters through the streets for an end of a longer than long and lengthy conflict in Asia.

My father would not allow me as a child to have guns and holsters and toys that dealt with war. I was ill-equipped to play with the neighbor kids when they played war or Cow-boys and Indians or pretended to shoot each other. I did no quite understand it back then, only later in my adulthood did I begin to understand what my Father was doing with me that he could not quite articulate.

Ours is a different generation. We have gathered to pray, once again, for a new year safer for our children to travel the streets and sidewalks to school and church and parks and other places. We cannot confine our children to inside the home. It is natural for children to want to be outdoors. Continue to encourage them as you have always done to be aware of what’s in front of them, in back of them, on the side of them. More and more kids travel to school on busses or in cars these days. Yet even then, encourage your children and grandchildren to be vigilant, to speak up to parents and teachers when they see something wrong and where to take refuge if danger closes in on them.

When we were growing up my mother did not allow us to watch certain TV shows that were considered “adult entertainment”. In the 1950s, adult entertainment was Payton Place and The Untouchables. We had to go upstairs while mom watched her favorite TV adult shows. I wasn’t able to watch The Untouchables until I became an adult and then got a kick out of some floozy sitting atop a desk filing her nails while her gang lord crook, wearing a gun and holster next to his rib was on the phone bringing booze into the city.

Those images were off-limits for children of my time. How things have changed with the tenor of morals displayed on the viewing screen and the troublesome Internet! 
Today is different. Notice, the popular video games with which children and teens are engaged. Most of them have to do with rabid violence, high powered weapons cutting down opponents and blood spurting every which way. Kids have these at home and work them with their coins in video arcades and at shopping malls. This is considered innocent youth entertainment. And we purchase these games for our youth. I suggest we should fast from these images and other movies where people like actors Stephen Seagal and Vin Diesel and others act out glorified violence. Unbeknownst to us these images work themselves in the consciousness of our youth getting across the idea that violence and killing are the only ways to be somebody. A gun in the hand always renders one a false sense of power.

Now, I am not saying my parent’s methods of raising us were the best. All I know is that I did not turn out the worse for it. I believe there is something to be said for steering clear of giving birthday gifts and Christmas gifts and gifts in between that symbolize violence and killing so prevalent in our city and other cities across the country. Follow through with the rearing of your kids and grandkids on this. Support your prayers and messaging by fasting from the images and instruments associated with violence. Then, sooner or later, the kids will understand.
Bishop Joseph Perry
5. THE CAUSE OF FR. TOLTON

The Archdiocese of Chicago

requests
the honor of your presence at the

Gala Benefit Fundraiser
for the
Cause for Sainthood

of

Father Augustus Tolton

Sunday, October 22, 2017
3pm

(hors d’oeuvres, cash bar Reception & Silent Auction)

Cardinal Blase Cupich
Martha Jane Tolton Award

Admittance by pre-paid Ticket Only
$100

Navy Pier’s Lakeview Terrace
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago’s Lakefront

Sponsored by:

The Father Tolton Guild
Office for Vicariate 6 Bishop Joseph N. Perry

Call/Write for Tickets:
Vicariate 6 Office 312-534-8376
Archdiocese Chicago
3525 S Lake Park Ave, Chicago, IL 60653
www.toltoncanonization.org

6. HONOR, HONOR UNTO THE DYING LAMB
 7. ON THE AIR


RADIO BCI
Tuesdays 9-9:30 a.m.
Relevant Radio 950-AM

Deacon John Cook hosts this weekly half-hour program that explores a wide range of topics relevant to Chicago's Black and Catholic communities. Deacon Cook serves at St. Felicitas Parish in Chatham, and is very involved in overseeing youth programs in the Bronzeville neighborhood. 

Tune in and Call in
312.255.8408

Let's talk about

October 3rd -       Deacon Andrew Orosco - Seattle

October 10th - Fr. Matt O'Donnell

October 17th - Teresa Pennix Gill and Paul Van

October 24th - Andrea Goodnight

October 31st - Dr. Renee Murrell



Make Them Hear You! 
After the March
8. CATHOLIC EDUCATION
9. PARISH LIFE AND FORMATION EVENTS
The BCI received the following announcements from parishes, schools and organizations for the purpose of sharing information and invitation.

Please seek permission to publish items in this newsletter from the pastor or person responsible for the sponsoring agent. Please take care not to violate copyrights.

10. THE BCI AND YOU
Kujichagulia, Umoja and Imani. This is a meeting of the seven sacraments of the church and the seven principles of Kwanzaa. This is a meeting of the church. That is what makes it and us truly catholic. Stay tuned, stay close, get involved, walk together and don’t you get weary! There’s a great camp meeting in the Promised Land. Believe that you are in the camp.
Thanks
Be to
GOD ! ! !

Someone asked the question…
RED is for the blood of the people
BLACK is for the community of the people
GREEN is for the growth of the people
All are welcome to bring ideas and gifts to this collective work of baptizing, matrimony and anointing, this effort of Kujichagulia, Umoja and Imani. This is a meeting of the seven sacraments of the church and the seven principles of Kwanzaa. This is a meeting of the church. That is what makes it and us truly Catholic. Stay tuned, stay close, get involved, walk together and don’t you get weary! There’s a great camp meeting in the Promised Land. Believe that you are in the camp.
About the Black Catholic Initiative

The Black Catholic Initiative (BCI) has as its focus the 66K African American Catholics served by 351 parishes, 38 of which are predominately African American. The BCI was created to prepare the church for the next generation of African American Catholics, charging them to be fully present and accountable. The goal of the BCI is to come together and work together in order to give and serve the Church. The BCI is an ethnic ministry that actively participates and offers its work as a gift to the local church of Chicago. Those involved in the BCI will practice Umoja, Kujichagulia and Ujima, (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility) in order to first give honor to God and to offer Catholicity with the whole church. The BCI will be one church, not many parishes. In this tried and true tradition, the BCI will plainly and clearly be Catholic.