Bessie Stringfield, the "Motorcycle Queen of Miami", is the subject of a new exhibit at the Harley-Davidson Museum, which includes never-before-seen personal effects. The display honoring the famed Black Catholic biker opened in September in Milwaukee. buff.ly/CFUhxMQ

"79% of permanent deacons in the United States are over 60 years old... What would be more meaningful and compelling to girls, women, and young people in our parishes? A male deacon—often White and over 60—or one who is a Hispanic, Asian, African-American, or Caucasian woman"?

Top members of the Catholic hierarchy remain resistant to the idea of women deacons, despite the witness of Church history and the obvious ministry potential. Daryl Grigsby writes that it's time for the Vatican to make a major change for the common good. buff.ly/0vs8ia4

"The Gospel does not arrive to erase anyone’s identity. It reveals how the Creator has always been speaking... [Its] true power lies in its ability to meet people where they are, to reveal Christ not as a stranger but as the fulfillment of what their ancestors already knew."

Fr Nnaemeka Ali, OMI recently joined First Nations peoples in Canada for a gathering of elders sharing culture and remembering a troubled past. He was providentially struck by parallels to the history of Africa and its diaspora in the Americas. buff.ly/JyvnF7S

A new documentary, "Nuns vs The Vatican", highlights the scourge of clerical sex abuse against women religious, honing in on the ongoing case of the Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik. @natemup.com reviews, noting the film's importance and its inconsistencies. buff.ly/5jUM394

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been sentenced to just over four years in prison for interstate prostitution. The Catholic-raised rap mogul will receive credit for time served since his 2024 arrest on charges of trafficking and racketeering, which he beat in July. buff.ly/7qi0Oiq

D.C. Council member Robert White will challenge 88-year-old Eleanor Holmes Norton for her seat in Congress, becoming a high-profile challenger amid calls for her retirement. The Black Catholic attorney, 43, will appear in next summer's Democratic primary. buff.ly/DJDCGEh

The president of the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators writes that the killing of Charlie Kirk has fomented threats against free speech. A new statement from Fr Reginald Norman says the Black community in particular is on "high alert". buff.ly/9yO8V3R

(Correction): The experience of a divine dream—not uncommon in Catholic spirituality—can foment unexpected healing, grace, and inspiration. Sr Charlotte Rubit, a Sister of the Holy Family, shares a moment of encounter that led her to radical forgiveness. buff.ly/k0oKE8O

The new rankings from @usnews.com have 100-year-old XULA as the #16 university in the South, #14 for undergraduates teaching, the #27 "Best Value" school nationally, and #62 for graduates' social mobility.

Xavier University of Louisiana is the #6 HBCU, according to new rankings from U.S. News & World Report this month. The Black Catholic university has also been named a top university in the South and one of the nation's best for undergraduate teaching. buff.ly/koPsmyt

"The young Christians who Dolan says will be spiritually inspired by Kirk are clearly not the Black or Hispanic youths he so consistently maligned. And [he] surely did not mean the Black girls or women who were the subject of some of Kirk’s most hostile and heartless comments."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan has painted Charlie Kirk as a modern-day saint, akin to Paul the Apostle and a leader of young Christians. Daryl Grigsby writes that the bishop's comments suggest a faith alien to compassion and justice. buff.ly/UI4wdwT

A graduate of Spelman College, Trippett has served as an educator and administrator in public and Catholic schools, with her most recent work concerning vocational formation.

Sr Gail Trippett has been elected to the congregational leadership of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, a 148-year-old order based in Missouri. The African-American religious sister formerly led two Black Catholic parishes in Indianapolis. buff.ly/fHwTXpJ

Assata Shakur, whose 1977 conviction on trumped-up murder charges and later escape from prison brought international attention, has died in Cuba at 78. The African-American Catholic convert was a member of the revolutionary Black Liberation Army. buff.ly/22QtAFl

The second reign of President Donald Trump has come with a litany of scandals, missteps, and outright inhumanity as Americans are left asking: How much longer can this last? Dorothy Dempsey writes that Democrats may need to look into a Project 2029. buff.ly/kuL7KKN

"When discussing his democratic socialist views, Mamdani has referenced a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: 'Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all God's children.'"

Zohran Mamdani looks primed to become the New York City's next mayor, with many voters energized by his socialist views on justice for the poor and just desserts for the rich. Félix Cepeda wonders aloud: Can Catholics support him in good conscience? buff.ly/3C1fzAR

Jesus' earthly ministry was chock-full of healing episodes, in which the human body was transformed by the power of God through faith—which also shifted social displacement. Alexander Walton writes that a similar mission lies before the Church today. buff.ly/trESxpN

“A lot of this has just been a big circle,” said Tom Booth, who is leading the new Echo Harbor label at OCP. “Only God could do this, bring this—bring us—together… my love of gospel, just to bring all that beautiful gifting and incredible tradition into what we're doing.”

A new worship album from Oregon Catholic Press includes Grammy-winning gospel artists on a project intended to reach those outside the walls of the Church. Echo Harbor Worship's "God Makes a Way" features Israel Houghton, Cory Henry and Tower of Power. www.blackcatholicmessenger.org/god-makes-a-...

In a July sit-down with Crux, Pope Leo XIV said his Black ancestry is part of an ethnic and experiential tapestry giving him "a real appreciation for the wonderful wealth of traditions and cultures and languages that make up the world and, of course, the Church."

Pope Leo has publicly acknowledged his African roots for the first time, in a wide-ranging interview with Elise Ann Allen for her new biography out now in Spanish. The Holy Father said his genealogy is covered in a French book being read by his brother. buff.ly/dB4CdFV

After conservative backlash, an essay on DEI from Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell Jr. of Washington has been deleted from the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The USCCB says the document was a "draft" mistakenly published without review. buff.ly/7rj1u0X

Cantrell, whose husband Jason died in 2023, has been ordered by a judge not to contact Vappie, who faced divorce proceedings from his wife beginning in 2022.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and former bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie Jr. have pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging their affair involved fraud and a cover-up. The Black Catholic executive, departing office next year, has not commented publicly. buff.ly/zeRAUJk

"Does Barron care about racism and anti-immigrant sentiment? I truly hope so, especially since he’s a bishop in a Church that proclaims that immigrants and people of color are image-bearers of God... In moments of political turmoil, he has to be an advocate of peace."

Bishop Robert Barron has again aligned himself with partisan politics by painting the late far-right commentator Charlie Kirk as a Christlike figure. Tulio Huggins writes that a horrific tragedy doesn't justify irresponsible Catholic leadership. buff.ly/U1nGxUa

Kirk was scheduled to appear on "Bishop Barron Presents" later this month, with Barron extending an invitation after seeing Kirk's appearance on @jubileemedia.bsky.social—in which he called Kamala Harris a “DEI candidate” and argued Affirmative Action was unconstitutional.

Bishop Robert Barron has joined Republicans in praising far-right activist Charlie Kirk following his shooting death in Utah. The Minnesota Catholic prelate spoke of Kirk's "considerable charm" and "goodness of heart" despite his racist and violent views. buff.ly/9WkfnIH

The Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism will become permanent within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, per a Wednesday statement. The change will go into effect this fall, creating a Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation. buff.ly/Ty2qJK3

“This is a city of promise,” said Duplessis, a Democrat and the youngest Black candidate in the field. “This is a city of beauty. This is a city that's better than what it is right now.”

State Sen. Royce Duplessis joined 8 New Orleans mayoral candidates this week for a debate at Xavier University of Louisiana, ahead of a hotly contested October open primary. The 42-year-old Black Catholic emphasized his plan to end the city's dysfunction. buff.ly/cPV8CLM

Lavigne's trip to Italy comes just ahead of the Holy See's Jubilee for Justice Workers, which will bring thousands from around the world to Rome for various events on Sept. 20, including a public audience with the new pontiff.

Sharon Lavigne, a Louisiana climate activist living in "Cancer Alley", has received honorary Italian citizenship during a visit for conferences and Vatican meetings. The Black Catholic retired educator is also expected to meet with Pope Leo XIV. buff.ly/2DzXzoK

Rucker's historic Greg Marius Court has hosted hoops luminaries such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Julius "Dr. J." Erving, Allen Iverson, and various other stars during multiple iterations of a popular summer tournament founded in the mid-20th century.

Harlem's Rucker Park, known for attracting pro basketball stars and streetballers alike, has been designated a National Commemorative Site. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, one of the nation's Black Catholic congressmen, spearheaded the legislation in Washington. buff.ly/fDmQsmY

George Raveling, who broke racial barriers in college basketball coaching and helped kickstart the Jordan-Nike phenomenon, has died at 88 after a battle with cancer. The Black Catholic convert was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2015. buff.ly/Ikzg5Wa

McNeil, inspired in part by his childhood Josephite parish in Wilmington, joined the Civil Rights Movement after being refused service at a bus station in 1959—leading to the Woolworth's protest the next year with fellow students from @ncatsuaggies.bsky.social.

Maj. Gen. Joseph McNeil, a member of the Greensboro Four student group that sparked the sit-in movement during Jim Crow, has died at age 83 from Parkinson's disease. The Catholic-raised activist went on to serve nearly four decades in the Air Force. buff.ly/Wm7P4xF

The state of Catholic education is in flux, and for decades students have not received the firm spiritual foundation once indispensable to Church-sponsored schooling. At the same time, Tamika Royes writes, recognition of Black Catholics remains stagnant. buff.ly/FVlg2ha

Owens has described the lawsuit against her as an opportunity to get answers from the Macrons in court, though a similar trial against two women in France—the progenitors of the transgenderism claims—has featured no ruling on their truth or falsity.

French president Emmanuel Macron has spoken out on his family's lawsuit against Candace Owens, who pushes the conspiracy theory that his wife Brigitte was born male. Macron, who called the idea "nonsense", co-filed the defamation suit in Delaware in July. buff.ly/YWgC2Wg

Henrietta Lacks will be acknowledged by the Maryland State Anatomy Board for the first time this fall, nearly 75 years after they neglected to stop the violation of her body after her death—which added to researchers' haul of her "immortal" HeLa cells. buff.ly/ca8vIsF

Five years never felt so good. Celebrate with us this fall at Old St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco! Register now: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticket...

Join us on Saturday, Nov. 8, in San Francisco for our inaugural Rudd Lecture + Dialogue, where Dr. Kim R. Harris will help us celebrate five years of Black Catholic Messenger. You won't want to miss this exciting event during Black Catholic History Month. buff.ly/bAvp2x2

Jude Law and Ana de Armas shine as maladjusted pioneers in over their heads in the Galápagos, showing by way of tragic self-absorption the pitfalls of modern life.

The new Ron Howard film "Eden" follows settlers on a remote island trying to survive—separately—amid growing hostility fomented by starvation and contradictory ideas about human purpose. @natemup.com reviews, calling it a stark reminder of human frailty. buff.ly/B80badf