June 14, 2022

Springfield’s Black Catholics to host special June events

REGIONAL
Staff report

SPRINGFIELD – The Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver and the Family Life Committee of St. Michael’s Cathedral Parish will be joining together on Sunday, June 19 to host a Father’s Day-Juneteenth Pancake Breakfast Celebration to take place after the 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Masses at the cathedral.

Juneteenth Guest Speaker

Rhonda Gilbert, guest presenter at the June 19 pancake breakfast, will speak on the history and celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest African American holiday. Her book, It’s All About Perception, will be available for purchase.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was 2 1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official Jan. 1, 1863.

Members of the Black Catholic Apostolate and the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver prepare takeout meals for last year’s Pig Roast Event. This year’s event will be an in-person meal with live entertainment. (iObserve photo/Rebecca Drake)

Annual Pig Roast Event

The Black Catholic Apostolate of the Diocese of Springfield will host its annual Pig Roast Event Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu will include pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, coleslaw, drinks and desserts.

The Pig Roast Event also will include live entertainment.

Both events are free.

For more information, contact Marion Johnson, administrative director of the Black Catholic Apostolate, at 413-563-7518 (primary), 781-3656 (secondary); via email at marionmarie@live.com.