The establishment of the African American Pastoral Center (AAPC) is vitally important to our African American Catholic Community. It will serve to engage, evangelize, grow our spirituality, and validate our presence and gifts in the universal Catholic Church, as lived in the Diocese of Oakland.

We have much work to do, and the Center will look to the African American Catholic community within the Diocese of Oakland to bring programs, events, and teachings important to your spiritual growth and knowledge. We will engage in listening sessions to learn more from you, and we will engage our youth and young adults in particular who represent the future of our community.

We seek to build a center that fully represents every aspect of our rich culture, spiritual gifts, and expressions that will result in bringing so many of us back into the church to worship with joy and freedom. I look forward to working with you.      — Dr. Chiquita Tuttle, Coordinator for AAPC | Contact Dr. Tuttle

• There are 3 million Catholic  African Americans in the United States
• 3 Parishes in the Diocese of Oakland identify as Black: St. Benedict, St. Columba and St. Patricks
• There are 47.2 million African Americans nationally  - African Americans represent  12.9%  of the total  U.S. Population
• 798 churches are considered predominantly African American Roman Catholic parishes
• 76% of African American Catholics are in predominantly white parishes—24% are in predominantly Black parishes
• There are 11 living  African American Bishops
• One African American Cardinal
• One Archbishop
• 250 African American priest
• 537   African American Deacons
• 400 African American Religious Sisters
• 50  African American Religious Brothers
• Of the 9308 students in Oaklands  Diocesan Catholic schools, 688
• (7.39%) identify as  African American

1. Venerable Pierre Toussaint
2. Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman
3. Servant of God Julia Greeley
4. Venerable Fr. Augustus tolton
5. Venerable Sr. Henriette DeLille
6. Servant of God Mother Mary Lange

THE CANONIZATION PROCESS IN FOUR STEPS
Servant of God
A cause is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and it is accepted.
Venerable
After the cause is approved, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints declares that the person has lived the Christian virtues heroically.
Blessed
The Congregation recognizes that the person is in Heaven. This requires that a miracle has taken place through the intercession of that person. In most cases, the miracle is a healing.
Saint
After beatification, a second miracle is needed to declare someone a saint. After this, the Pope summons all the Cardinals of the Church and the date for the Canonization Ceremony of the saint is determined.