In 1975, my wife (born and raised Catholic) and I began our adult journey of seeking Christ, the Savior of the world. Although raised in a southern Methodist family that was strongly rooted in prayer and singing sacred songs, I was never baptized. It was a time in our lives, newly married and poor, when that yearning arose within us for something missing from our lives—the promptings of the Holy Spirit were stirring within us. It reminds me of an old spiritual: “I gotta move when the Spirit says, ‘Move’!”

In moving with the Spirit, we visited St. Agnes Church (Bond Hill), which had been my wife’s home parish. Something there, as I participated in Mass for the first time—with all of its words, signs, and symbols—welcomed me home. My heart was moved. I felt the call to personally respond to God’s voice that had been calling me since my youth, so the next year, my daughter and I were baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass.

My experience at Mass—though with different songs and pace—reminded me of a sacred song I had heard and sung as a child: “Somebody prayed for me, kept me on their mind, took the time and prayed for me. I’m so glad they prayed, I’m so glad they prayed, I’m so glad they prayed for me.”

This liturgical celebration fused with my prior experiences of praying with extended family members, which included the living and the dead. Though never given a name, like “the Communion of Saints,” as we prayed that sacred song, the prayer included those gone before us in death. It reminded the community and the family that we were standing on the shoulders of saints. A Funeral Rite reading from the Book of Revelation says, “Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, ‘Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?’ I said to him, ‘My lord, you are the one who knows.’ He said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Rev 7:13-14).

Not limited to the saints depicted in stained glass windows, the Communion of Saints now includes my own family members, relatives, and friends who have passed on to glory. They are my constant companions on this journey toward heaven, and remind me each day in sacred song, “The road is rough; and the going gets tough, and the hills are hard to climb. I started out a long time ago; there’s no doubt in my mind; I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice.”

In recent years, though, I’ve found it more than challenging to reflect on the Communion of Saints knowing that there has not been one African American canonized as a saint. My heart gladdens to pray an intercession for: Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, Servant of God Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Servant of God Thea Bowman.

Their recognition is important for the whole Church. The Gospel can transform every culture, yet every culture “interprets life and relates with nature, God, the world, and other peoples in a particular way” (“Principles of Inculturation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Living Light” [1994], no. 31, from Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers, USCCB [2014], Pg. 8).

And in the words of Pope St. John Paul II in 1987 as he addressed black Catholic leaders in New Orleans, “Dear brothers and sisters, your black cultural heritage enriches the Church and makes her witness of universality more complete. In a real way the Church needs you, just as you need the Church.”

“You reflect the Church’s ability to bring together a diversity of people united in faith, hope, and love” (John Paul II, Address from “Meeting With The Black Catholic Community Of New Orleans,” Sept. 12, 1987).

May our prayers, in communion with the saints, lead us to our heavenly home where we will see Jesus face to face. Amen. ✣

Deacon Royce Winters is Director of African American Pastoral Ministries for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

This article appeared in the September 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.