Br. Hugh Henderson, C.PP.S., was one of six honorees during a Mass of celebration and a National Black Catholic History Month awards dinner at the University of Dayton on November 3. Br. Hugh was honored for his ministry to African-American Catholics. He is in ministry at the Church of the Resurrection in Cincinnati.

The event was sponsored by the office of African American Catholic Ministries of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Each award recipient received a crystal plaque. At the awards dinner, each recipient reflected on the gift of their calling to religious life, including the joy of serving God’s people. Each also reflected on the failure of the Church in the United States to respond consistently with compassion and love to the number of men and women of African descent who preceded them and were not accepted as candidates for religious life solely because of the color of their skin.

Presiding at the Mass in the University of Dayton’s Immaculate Conception Chapel was Bishop Joseph Binzer of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The award recipients were introduced during the liturgy and received a standing ovation from the congregation.

Text and photo courtesy of Jean Giesige, Cincinnati Province