This episode will look at a bigger picture of Black Catholics today and focus on the story of a few prominent Black Catholics who are asking the Church to speak more clearly about racism and the racial divide, including, Fr. Josh Johnson, Gloria Purvis, and Bishop Edward Braxton.

Special Guests

Bishop Edward Braxton, Ph.D., S.T.D. 

Fr. Joseph Brown, S.J.

Nathan Crankfield

Fr. Josh Johnson

Gloria Purvis

Chenele Shaw

Shannon Schmidt

​Credits

The Ark and the Dove was written and produced by Edward Herrera and Jay Lampart with help from Louis Damani Jones. Editing and creative direction by Sara Perla. Theme, outro music and sound design by Jay Lampart. Additional music by Deitrick Goodwin and the St. Bernardine's Choir. Artwork by Tom Grillo. Special thanks to Siobohn Hagan and Marmia, The Mid Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive. Thank you to the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation and the Notre Dame IDEA Center for their early support. Most importantly, thanks to the countless individuals willing to share their story for the making of this podcast. The Ark and the Dove is a production of Balthasar Media. Learn more at www.balthasarmedia.com

This episode focuses on the Catholic Church’s historical role in the education of African Americans. Mother Mary Lange began a school “to teach children of color to read the Bible” in 1828. That school is now St. Frances Academy, and its principal, Deacon Curtis Turner, features prominently in this episode.

Credits

The Ark and the Dove was written and produced by Edward Herrera and Jay Lampart with help from Louis Damani Jones. Editing and creative direction by Sara Perla. Theme, outro music and sound design by Jay Lampart. Additional music by Deitrick Goodwin and the St. Bernardine's Choir. Artwork by Tom Grillo. Special thanks to Siobohn Hagan and Marmia, The Mid Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive. Thank you to the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation and the Notre Dame IDEA Center for their early support. Most importantly, thanks Deacon Curtis Turner and the St. Frances Academy community. The Ark and the Dove is a production of Balthasar Media. Learn more at www.balthasarmedia.com.

This episode continues on the transformation of Edmonson Village, this time focusing on the Catholic Church at the center of the neighborhood: St. Bernardine. Longtime residents share their memories of the Catholic priests and parishioners who reacted in various ways to the population changes, and how they made a home for themselves and their families at the Church.

Credits

The Ark and the Dove was written and produced by Edward Herrera and Jay Lampart with help from Louis Damani Jones. Editing and creative direction by Sara Perla. Theme, outro music and sound design by Jay Lampart. Additional music by Deitrick Goodwin and the St. Bernardine's Choir. John "Papa Jay" Lampart played the harmonica. Artwork by Tom Grillo. In addition to Ed Orser’s research, Antero Pietila’s book, Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City was very helpful in the making of this episode. Special thanks to Siobohn Hagan and Marmia, The Mid Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive, WMAR-TV for the coverage of Cardinal Archbishop Shehan’s testimony and the Catholic Review for their reporting on the incident. Thank you to the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation and the Notre Dame IDEA Center for their early support. Most importantly, thanks to the parishioners of St. Bernardine Church and the countless individuals willing to share their story for the making of this podcast. The Ark and the Dove is a production of Balthasar Media.

This episode will discuss how the West Baltimore neighborhood of Edmondson Village changed from being essentially all White to all Black in the course of 10 years. Historians Ed Orser and John Tillman explain the practice of “blockbusting” and how corrupt bank practices such as land installment contracts played into this transition.

Credits

The Ark and the Dove was written and produced by Edward Herrera and Jay Lampart with help from Louis Damani Jones. Editing and creative direction by Sara Perla. Theme, outro music and sound design by Jay Lampart. Additional music by Deitrick Goodwin and the St. Bernardine's Choir. John "Papa Jay" Lampart played the harmonica. Artwork by Tom Grillo. In addition to Ed Orser’s research, Antero Pietila’s book, Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City was very helpful in the making of this episode. Special thanks to Siobohn Hagan and Marmia, The Mid Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive. Thank you to the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation and Notre Dame IDEA Center for their early support. Most importantly, thanks to the countless individuals willing to share their story for the making of this podcast. The Ark and the Dove is a production of Balthasar Media.

What is the Black Catholic Church? Since the very founding of the Christianity, Africans have played a vital role in shaping the Church. How did the practice of faith change and become informed by the awful realities of slavery? 

Credits

The Ark and the Dove was written and produced by Edward Herrera and Jay Lampart with help from Louis Damani Jones. Editing and creative direction by Sara Perla. Theme, outro music and sound design by Jay Lampart. Additional music by Deitrick Goodwin and the St. Bernardine's Choir. Artwork by Tom Grillo. Special thanks to Siobohn Hagan and Marmia, The Mid Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive. Thank you to Dr. Joanne Martin of the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, K. Albert Little of the Cordial Catholic Podcast for allowing the use of his audio, and the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation and Notre Dame IDEA Center for their early support. Most importantly, thanks to the countless individuals willing to share their story for the making of this podcast. The Ark and the Dove is a production of Balthasar Media.

The Ark and the Dove is an 5-episode narrative podcast investigating the complex dynamics of race and religion in America through the lens of the Black Catholic Church. This show debuts June 19. Learn more at www.arkanddovepod.com