Joyce Christian understands firsthand why many Black people and other people of color are hesitant and mistrust the medical community.

Of Blacks attending a Catholic church, 41% said they had heard a homily on racism; 39% said they had heard a sermon on abortion.

An adaptation of the homily Father Chisholm delivered at the Black History Month Mass celebrated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Feb. 7, 2021.

“Science has made my faith stronger,” she said. “The DNA structure is amazing. It is beautiful and is evidence of what God can do and has done.”

This is the South Central Los Angeles church where 22-year-old Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, grew up singing in the youth choir, taking her sacraments and reciting her poetry.

“We are a community; everyone here is important,” said St. Brigid’s pastor, Josephite Father Kenneth Keke. “Whatever belongs to the parish belongs to everyone; in our parish, the success of anyone is the success of all.”