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NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC
APOSTOLATE FOR LIFE |
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News
Release
News Release |
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AND
New York City-November 4, 2009---At the
end of last month, the month of October (designated as “Respect
Life Month”), on a beautiful fall day, in the Archdiocese
of
Ms. Sadie Mitchell, a 92-year old, still active member of her Bronx community and the Church of Our Lady of Grace, while alone in her home of over 50 years, was shot to death by a stray bullet, the result our young people fighting on the streets. The death of Ms. Sadie has brought much sorrow and pain to her daughter, Dr. Shahron Williams Van Rooij, and to all in the community who knew Ms. Sadie, and to the many others, who had not known her, but heard or read of the sad story of her death in the media. The National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life (NBCAL), on behalf of all its membership, extends its sympathy to Ms. Sadie’s daughter, other family members and many friends, especially Mr. and Mrs. John Fields (who were good neighbors to Ms. Sadie and responded promptly to her last minute call for help), and the Church family of Our Lady of Grace in the Bronx, New York. They can be assured that the soul of Mrs. Sadie Mitchell has been remembered in our Masses and continues to be lifted up in the prayers of so many. “NBCAL was pleased to have been represented at the wake and funeral by Br. Tyrone Davis, Director of the Office of Black Ministry for the Archdiocese. We are especially pleased that the entire Catholic community was represented at the wake by the Archbishop of New York, Archbishop Timothy Dolan; and at the funeral by Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Walsh” said Father James E. Goode, O.F.M., President of NBCAL. In the wake of Ms. Sadie’s death and the countless other acts of needless violence that have occurred in New York and communities across this land, The National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life once more calls on the Black community to renew their commitment to defend the sacredness of all human life. “ That every life is sacred from the moment of conception to its natural end is not just a statement of public policy but rather a core belief of our Catholic faith,” said Father Jim. He also states that “the senseless violence inflicted on Ms. Sadie Mitchell and so many others in our community, from the very young to the very elderly, has had a profound impact on us all—it calls into question our very sense of humanity. This ‘culture of death’ is claiming, at a high cost, our future generations and now the great representations of our past, our elders.” This past June throughout the United States, the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life declared June as “Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month.” Members in parishes and institutions in the Archdiocese of New York and around the country boldly resolved and committed themselves to pray for the end of the evil of abortion and all acts of violence that is destroying the human family and Body of Christ in their community, and to boldly stand up for the dignity of life.
“At this time and
throughout this month of November, as we in the Catholic tradition
have just celebrated the lives of the great holy men and women that
we call saints (All Saints Day), and prayerful remember the souls of
all our faithfully departed, including Ms. Sadie (All Souls Day), we
call upon all the members of our community and apostolate to renew
that commitment,” states Fr. Jim. “To this end, we are declaring
For more
information, contact the
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The National Black Catholic Apostolate
for Life was inaugurated in the fall of 1997, with the National Black
Catholic Clergy Caucus and the Franciscan Solid Ground Ministry as sponsors
and with the support of John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York and
the Archdiocese's Office of Black Ministry.
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