History: The Oblate Sisters of Providence

UGA history professor Diane Batts Morrow has spent much of her career studying the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first congregation of black Catholic sisters in the United States. A recent Q & A with Dr. Morrow tells part of the fascinating story:

When I was growing up in Philadelphia, I had never seen a black nun. And I was a cradle Catholic. I went to integrated parochial schools, where there were white nuns teaching and the student body was integrated, but I had never seen a black nun. So it was a real revelation. I felt deprived of knowing about my history as a black Catholic. And so the Oblate sisters fill in a great need there.

Now, I never thought that I was going to write about their spirituality because I'm not a theologian — I'm a historian. But as I researched their story, I realized I had to mention their extraordinary faith because that was about the only thing that could get them through. They started out in 1828 and just recently have passed their 185th anniversary [in 2014].

And, essentially, they should not be. They were black in a white society, women in a patriarchal society, free women in a slaveholding society. But they were that strong in their faith, in their vocation, and they knew about their relationship with God. So, essentially, they engaged in self-definition because white society thought of black women as the lowest possible form of morality, and yet here they define themselves as women of purity, women of piety.

Why is that important?

When people talk about black religion, they think automatically of Baptists, Methodists or maybe Pentecostals. No one ever thinks of Catholics, and yet, there were black Catholics for centuries. And I'm not talking one or two. These were people who were devoted to the church but also proud of their racial identity, and they banded together to do things for themselves.

It's another important chapter in the American story, a rich history that only grows in complexity as dedicated reseachers like Morrow uncover and share the lives of influential people who shaped this country. A good end-of-the-week read as well as an opportunity to delve further. Happy weekend.

Image: public domain photo of the Oblate Sisters of Providence via blackpast.org