Kidane-Mehret Ethiopian Catholic Church, Washington DC

The first is the Listening Session for African Catholics hosted by the ADW Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach (OCDO). This listening session is an opportunity for African Catholics to share their experiences and express their needs and wants. The outcome of the session will aid OCDO in putting together a Pastoral Plan for ministering to Black Catholics in ADW. Our voices must be heard in this one because this Catholic Church belongs very much to us as to anyone else. I urge all pastors and chaplains to consider sending 5-7 representatives from your community to attend this important listening session. Please let your community be represented. The event will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026 from 10am - 1pm at St. Mary in Landover Hills, MD. More details of the event are in the attached flyer. The second is the celebration of Mary Mother of Africa on Saturday October 10, 2026 at 12:10pm at the Basilica. Our own Sis. Joanna Okereke worked very hard and received approval for this celebration to be an annual event on every second Saturday in October at the Basilica. We are grateful to the rector of the Basilica, Msgr. Rossi, for this opportunity, but we need to mobilize our people to participate. This year, we will simply join the 12:10pm Shrine mass and say the rosary with some reflections after the mass in the Our Lady of Lourdes chapel which is next to the smaller Mother of Africa chapel. Our hope is that if we have a good turn out this year, we can ask the Basilica to allow us more flexibility in shaping the mass of the day. Maybe we can provide a celebrant and homilist. I plead with you to encourage members of your community to participate in this celebration that will honor our Blessed Mother. The attached flyer contains more details. I know our schedules are busy, but please consider attending both events. If you have any questions, please let me know. God bless you. -- Fr. Ebuka Mbanude Chaplain, African Catholic Association, ADW