Archbishop Charles G. Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast, Republic of Ghana, served as principal celebrant and homilist at the annual Mass in honor of Black History Month at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, reminding the faithful, “My dear brothers and sisters, Jesus has come so that we may have life; not just healing, not just deliverance, but to have life in full, to have salvation.”

This year’s theme, a supplication to the Lord, was: “Bless Our Families, Heal Our Land!” The Mass occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, February 4; about 1,200 people attended. The cathedral gathering included a special dance interpretation in the middle aisle by two young women while the choir sang the communion meditation, “Heal Our Land,” a performance greeted with enthusiastic applause.        

The Mass was also held in celebration of the National Day of Prayer for the African American and African Family. It highlighted the archdiocesan ministry to young adults through the Pierre Toussaint Scholarship Program.         

“God is good!” The Ghanaian archbishop exclaimed at the start of his homily. Ghana is on the west coast of Africa.        

“All the time!” the people responded. “All the time, God is good!” And the archbishop tinged his sermon with excerpts of songs, including, “Give Me Jesus,” leading the faithful with lyrics of hope.  

He spoke of the importance of Pope Francis designating 2024 as the Year of Prayer, in preparation for Holy Year 2025, a Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”         

“Yes, our world today needs women and men of prayer, families of prayer and holiness, and we need pilgrims of hope in the face of today’s Godlessness and hopelessness,” Archbishop Palmer-Buckle said, also citing the day’s readings. “It is only when we come to believe in God and come to know that God has a purpose for our life here on earth, only then God assures us that He has a plan and a project for our lives.” 

The archbishop noted the significance of the faithful “continuing to preach the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even when we ourselves are afflicted. Let us do this with joy and faith in the Risen Christ, Jesus. Let us be joy-filled Christians in our families, joy-filled Christians in our hopes, joy-filled Christians in our places of work. Let us bring the joy and the hope of our Christian faith into our world – this world of violence and evil.” 

“In the name of Jesus, there is blessing; in the name of Jesus, there is power; in the name of Jesus, there is everything,” Archbishop Palmer-Buckle asserted.  

The Significance of the Mass

In addition, he spoke of the significance of the Mass, in honor of the African American and African Family, noting the multicultural and multilingual nature of black history. The Mass was conducted in English and tinged with other languages spoken by and used in worship by members of the Black Catholic Community in the Archdiocese of New York, including Akan (spoken in Ghana). 

More than a dozen priests concelebrated the Mass, from the Archdiocese of New York and neighboring dioceses. The archdiocesan Office of Black Ministry coordinates the annual Mass.

Among the Mass attendees was Rebecca Essel, 42, a parishioner of St. Patrick’s Church in Bay Shore, Long Island, and formerly a parishioner of St. Luke’s Church in the Bronx. She was born and raised in Ghana.  

“I think this is my fifth time coming to this annual Mass. It’s very important to me because I am a black Catholic, and I love my religion,” Essel, a married mother of four, told The Good Newsroom after the Mass. “I’ve been a Catholic all my life. The message from the homily – it was so wonderful. This is very special to me, with the archbishop visiting from my country, Ghana.” Essel attended the Mass with her mother, Rose.

About Archbishop Palmer-Buckle

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, 73, was installed as archbishop of Cape Coast in 2018. He was born in Axim in the western region of Ghana. In 1971, while studying at St. Peter’s Regional Seminary in the Pedu suburb of Cape Coast, he was sent to Rome to study at the Pontifical Urban College and University. 

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle completed his seminary training with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and another in Sacred Theology. After his return home to Ghana, he was ordained to the priesthood in December 1976.