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A Lenten Message from Father Wayne Paysse, Executive Director

A Message from Father Wayne Paysse, Executive Director

Click here to read an Interview with Father Paysse

Applaud February as Black History Month

Dear Partner in Mission,

Recently I came across an art piece, Le Jazz, created with a simple, graphite pencil by Romare Bearden. With sparse lines and great skill  not only the musical instruments but the faces and personalities of the band came to life.  I could almost hear the rhythmic drum beat, the wailing of the horns and  the syncopated strings of the base.  Isn’t it true, that good music – with brass and strings or human voices – is about being true to your own note?

With that thought as backdrop, I applaud February as Black History Month. Students today can learn about the life and legacy of Black achievers who were true to their own “notes,” who followed their dreams, who used their God-given talents.  This month affords all of us the opportunity to learn that which was missing from our school texts  in the days of yesteryear.  Sponsored by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History  (ASALH),  Black History Month highlights the “shakers and movers:” inventers, artists, political figures, entertainers., etc.  The list is both extensive and impressive. One example: http://www.ls.cc.al.us/blackhistory/blackhistory.html

The theme for 2010 is “The History of Black Economic Power.”  Although I cannot speak on the topic specifically, I am confident of this,  economic expertise is frequently correlated to quality education.  Training of the mind and heart is both educational and motivational. When I visit the Black or Indian Catholic Schools supported by  grants  from this office, I see the molding and shaping of lives with Gospel values and good academics, a legacy of learning received from St. Katharine Drexel.

Thanks to each of you for your efforts in promoting the ministry of our Catholic Schools. You permit our students to be in touch with their history as a culture and as a people of faith that allows them to be true to the God given  music of their own souls.

In a spirit of harmony and being true to your own note, I remain

Reverend Wayne C. Paysse

Executive Director

The Black and Indian Mission Office Photo Archive::