When I walk to work each day tears often come to my eyes. I see our children being led astray by a demonic mentality that would make even the strongest man or woman cringe. We see a culture where many of our young people can barely read or write and have adopted profanity as the norm in their everyday conversation. I ask the question “where are our God-fearing mothers and fathers?”
Sadly enough many parents have forgotten their role as parents and instead want to be their child’s friend. Nothing disturbs me more than to hear a child brag “if my mother hits me I’m going to call 911.” Had I ever made such a statement to my mother I would not have been around today to write this article. The courts may have taken prayer out of the school, but they did not take it out of our homes. I am sure you would be surprised at how many of today’s youths don’t pray the Lord’s Prayer but, more surprisingly, how many have never been taught the words to that prayer.
The old African proverb “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” is more than just a cliché. This ancient proverb teaches eternal truth and reminds each of us that no man, woman or family is an island. God is calling Christian men and women to stand up and take back our children from the world. God is calling parents to invest in their children’s future. As a parent and a member of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Board of African American Ministries I have been blessed with the opportunity to join with other Catholic men and women who are committed to making a change in our churches and communities.
One of the board’s initiatives is the Daniel Rudd Scholarship Fund, which is named after the founder of the National Black Catholic Congress. Our challenge as members of the board is to generate funds for the scholarship through an annual raffle. Our efforts are intended to assist low-income Catholic students currently residing in the metropolitan area of Baltimore with scholarship assistance to attend a Catholic elementary or high school within the archdiocese.
In order for this endeavor to be successful we need the help of everyone willing to make an investment in a child’s future. You can obtain more information regarding the Daniel Rudd Scholarship fund by calling the Office of African American Ministries at 410-625-8472 or by email at AACM@archbalt.org. It not only takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to educate a child. It’s time for the men and women of God to stand up and step up and come to the aid of our children.
It takes the same village to raise up the cause of canonization of Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange. We need all of the faithful in the village of the archdiocese to pray. Let’s join together, families to families, churches to churches, religious communities to other religious communities, to unite, lifting up in prayer the advancement of the cause for canonization of Servant of God, Oblate Sister of Providence Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange. Let’s come out in strong numbers with strong voices of prayer and join Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, members of the Oblate Sisters and the Mother Lange Guild Board of Directors on May 21, for 5:30 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.
So many of us have been directly or indirectly touched throughout Baltimore and beyond, by the ministry of Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange and her daughters, the Oblate Sisters of Providence. Now, we in turn can exhibit our love and support for such holy service, by showing up in prayer, joining the Oblates Sisters of Providence, their associates and the guild members as Mass is celebrated for the intention that God will elevate Mother Lange to the high altar of sainthood.
Rodney D. Camphor is a member of the Archdiocesan Board of African American Catholic Ministries and St. Ambrose Church.