A Mass in commemoration of Juneteenth is set for Saturday, June 20, at Immaculate Conception Church on Staten Island, followed by a celebration gathering on the church property.
Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, has been a federal holiday in the United States since 2021. It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.
The Mass will begin at noon. The church is located at 128 Targee Street, in the Stapleton neighborhood on the North Shore of Staten Island. The principal celebrant will be Father Wesbee Victor, pastor of St. Joseph and St. Mary Immaculate Parish, Staten Island. Father Victor is also chaplain of the Haitian Ethnic Group, Archdiocese of New York.
A celebration after Mass
Fr. Levelt Germain, pastor of St. Joseph and St. Boniface Church in Spring Valley, will deliver the homily. The Mass and celebration are being organized by Catholic Charities New York and overseen by the archdiocesan Cultural Diversity Apostolate. The post-Mass social gathering will include food, music, and children’s activities. Music will be provided by the parish choir and guest singers.
Coordinators are arranging bus trips to the Mass from the following locations:
- Immaculate Conception Church in the Bronx (754 E. Gun Hill Road)
- St. Joseph and St. Boniface Church, Spring Valley (245 N. Main Street)
- St. Charles Borromeo Church in Harlem (211 W. 141st Street)
Buses depart at 10:30 a.m.
Black Catholic faith
“My homily will be centered within the context of the 250th anniversary of the independence of our country – on the importance of freedom and on those who have given their lives for such a precious gift,” Fr. Germain told The Good Newsroom by phone on June 12. He emphasized the significance of honoring the memory of those who “fought in the Civil Rights movement,” and noted that Catholic priests and nuns marched with leaders of the movement. He said he will also talk about “the Gospel value of the struggle.”
The Cultural Diversity Apostolate (CDA) supports and collaborates with a wide range of culturally and racially diverse communities in the Archdiocese of New York. It assists with organizational aspects, as needed, for special liturgies, processions, and other events. And the office maintains and publishes a calendar of the liturgies and events, as well as maintains and updates a digital media presence for Cultural Diversity.
For more information, visit https://www.archny.org/cultural-diversity-apostolate.