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Historically Black parishes held Masses in place of diocesan Martin Luther King Jr. Mass Published: January 20, 2021    Dwain Hebda Father Leon W. Ngandu, SVD, pastor of St. Augustine Church in North Little Rock, blesses the crowd Jan. 17 during a closing prayer in thanksgiving for the day’s march in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The church, one of just a few Black Catholic churches in the state, sponsored the neighborhood march, which attracted more than 50 parishioners and guests. The event followed Mass concelebrated by Father Ngandu and Father Warren Harvey, the first Black p...

Dionne Mitchell was born and raised Catholic, attending St. Augustine Church in North Little Rock, one of three historically Black Catholic churches in Arkansas. As a 29-year-old, she has her pick of churches in Central Arkansas, but has always sought out a predominantly Black congregation.  “I wanted to be around people that look like me,” she said. “... I didn’t feel excluded (in other parishes). I just always thought it was weird seeing white Jesus in a church.”  Walking into most churches in Arkansas, there’s no shortage of Anglo depictions of Jesus, Mary and Joseph -- the c...