Gulf Pine Catholic

12 Gulf Pine Catholic • July 7, 2023 Mother Lange, who is now ʻvenerable,’ is nation’s ʻgreatest model for evangelization,’ says deacon BY GERRY JACKSON BALTIMORE ( OSV News ) -- When Deacon B. Curtis Turner received word that Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange had moved a step closer to sainthood, he hoped to be the first to celebrate the good news with a visit to her room at St. Frances Academy. He was delighted to see several of his students at the East Baltimore school had beaten him to it. A handful had already gathered to pray and celebrate at the site where the nun whom Pope Francis declared “venera- ble” resided, prayed and died. “We couldn’t be more excited,” said Deacon Turner, the head of school at the academy Mother Lange co- founded in 1828. “Everything we do here is guided by her. It was heartwarming to see kids in her room talking about her cause.” Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore rejoiced June 22 at the prospects of one of their own moving closer to sainthood. Mother Lange, also the founder of the Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence, was declared venerable when Pope France signed a decree recognizing her as having “lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way.” A miracle attributed to her intercession is still nec- essary before she can be beatified. Another miracle would be needed for her canonization. The Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Oblate Sisters have championed the cause for the sainthood of the founder of the first Catholic order of African American nuns. Archbishop William E. Lori said he was overjoyed by the news and noted that Baltimore still draws on Mother Lange’s grace. “I am delighted that the Holy See has officially rec- ognized the heroic virtues of Mother Mary Lange, for her virtues and example still enliven and grace this local Church,” Archbishop Lori said in a June 22 state- ment. “I am especially happy for the Oblates of Providence who have been praying and working fer- vently for the canonization of their beloved founder. Today’s news marks an important step forward in the path towards her beatification. Let us continue to pray for her cause and ask her intercession for our needs.” In February, when the Vatican accepted the theo- logical and historical record of Mother Lange, Archbishop Lori noted: “With each step forward, more people learn about the life and legacy of our beloved Mother Lange. She unlocked educational opportunities for children in Baltimore and beyond during her life- time -- and that impact continues today. The Oblate Sisters have worked very hard to help bring about this key development. Along with so many others, we are delighted.” St. Frances Academy’s Deacon Turner, a deacon of the Archdiocese of Washington, called Mother Lange the greatest model for evangelization the nation has. “She teaches us to love the church even when the church doesn’t seem like it loves us back,” Deacon Turner told the Catholic Review , Baltimore’s archdioc- esan news outlet. “She is the ultimate model for us to learn about forgiveness.” Adrienne Curry, director of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Office of Black Catholic Ministries, said it’s “an exciting time” for Baltimore. “I am absolutely thrilled,” said Curry. “We are very excited that she is one step closer. It’s very moving. We need people to pray for her cause,” She noted that four African Americans up for saint- hood now have been declared venerable -- Mother Lange, Mother Henrietta Delille, Father August Tolton and Pierre Toussaint. (Two other African Americans with canonization causes are Sister Thea Bowman and Julia Greeley.) Auxiliary Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, urban vicar, is glad to see the Lange cause advancing as well. “Patience in God’s providence pays off,” Bishop Lewandowski said. “This is wonderful news for so many who are praying and working for Mother Lange’s canonization. God is so good!” Mother Lange helped establish in 1829 the Baltimore-based Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first religious order for women of color. Mother Lange, who also established the first Catholic school for children of color in the United States, was born in Cuba in 1784 and lived in Haiti before coming to Baltimore as a French-speaking immigrant in 1813. She died Feb. 3, 1882, in Baltimore at St. Frances Academy. The late Cardinal William H. Keeler began the can- onization process for Mother Lange nearly three decades ago while he was archbishop of Baltimore when he submitted a report to the Vatican. Dr. Camille Brown Privette, president of the Mother Mary Lange Guild, wrote a six-page historical document about the history of African Americans from slavery through Reconstruction, Civil Rights Act and other changes that Cardinal Keeler submitted, along with other materials, to what was then called the the Congregation for Saints Causes at the Vatican. “She was determined to respond to that need in spite of being a Black woman in a slave state long before the Emancipation Proclamation,” according to the official website of her sainthood cause. “She used her own money and home to educate children of color.” SEE MOTHER LANGE VENERABLE REAX, PAGE 13 Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange is depicted in a stained-glass window in the sacristy of the Crypt Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Pope Francis signed a decree June 22, recognizing the heroic virtues of Mother Lange and declaring her venerable. OSV News photo/Matthew Barrick courtesy Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception