The Diocese of Harrisburg recently held its yearly celebration of Black Catholic history, culture and leaders in celebration of His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory.

“Join the faithful at the Diocese of Harrisburg for this annual celebration of Black Catholic history, culture and leaders," the Diocese of Harrisburg posted on Facebook. "His Eminence, Wilton Cardinal Gregory, from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., will be the principal celebrant for the annual Diocesan Black Catholic Apostolate Mass.”

The Smithsonian reported that the Catholic Church in the U.S. was largely white up to the point when Father Herman Porter held the initial assembly of the Black Catholic Clergy Caucus in Detroit after the murder of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory was born in Chicago in 1947 and went to St. Carthage Grammar School, where he turned to Catholicism, according to the Archdiocese of Washington.

“In 1973, he was ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago," the Archdiocese of Washington said. "He went on to serve as an auxiliary bishop of Chicago, a bishop of the Diocese of Belleville, IL, and then as Archbishop of Atlanta."

Pope Francis chose Cardinal Gregory as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington in 2019 and in 2020 chose him as a Cardinal and is now as the Chancellor of the Catholic University of America, according to the Wisconsin Catholic Church.

Cardinal Gregory was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2006, and also was recognized that year with the Cardinal Bernardin Award given by the Catholic Common Ground Initiative at the National Pastoral Life Center, according to the Wisconsin Catholic Church.

Saint Catherine Laboure Parish is located at 4000 Derry St. in Harrisburg.