BEAUMONT, Texas — The first African American cardinal in the Catholic church was in Beaumont for a summit to help promote healing and understanding on Saturday.
Many Faces in God’s House is a community-wide summit that aims to foster healing, understanding, and opportunities for all humankind. The summit was held at the Julie Rogers Theater and featured a keynote given by Cardinal Wilton Gregory.
“To engage in our dialogue with a purpose of fostering unity, love and respect,” Carindal Gregory said.
Cardinal Gregory is the first African American bishop to be elevated to the College of Cardinals.
“In spite of the challenges we face, and they are real and they are serious, there is a possibility we can face them, effectively, together,” Cardinal Gregory said
Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Gregory as the seventh Archbishop of Washington on April 4, 2019. Cardinal Gregory was installed on May 21, 2019.
Cardinal Gregory has written and spoken extensively on church issues, including the death penalty, euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide, and more. He has published multiple articles on the subject of liturgy, particularly in the African-American community.
“To see our differences no longer as a threat, but as an advantage,” Cardinal Gregory said. “That we are a nation of immigrants, have always. We bring together the diversity of our cultures, ages, genders, religions and we bring them together to form a more perfect union."
The cardinal has served in many leading roles in the U.S. church including as president from 2001 to 2004.
The Beaumont Diocese worked hard to bring hundreds together for the event called “The Many Faces in God’s House.”
After the cardinal's address, people broke off into classes to talk about cultivating peace, harmony, and unity. Beaumont Bishop David Toups was proud of the turnout.
“Certainly as a Christian community, but representatives of the Jewish faith tradition the Muslim brothers and sisters are here really representing the whole of Southeast Texas," Bishop Toups said.
The summit inspired attendee Katherine Read to consider what she can do to improve Beaumont.
“The cardinal was amazing with his background and with the leaders presenting today.” Read said. “These are the people that will help us achieve community in the schools and in our community as far as the leaders. I think we have a lot to work on.”
Cardinal Gregory believes that work starts with dialogue.
“People in spite of the differences in the region and the background of the work they do,” Cardinal Gregory said. “They are amazingly the same.“