Thelma Lucas, 82, was raised by a Catholic father and a Baptist mother. She loved the liturgy of the Mass, but also enjoyed the music and welcoming environment of the Baptist church.
On the cusp of Vatican II, Lucas converted to the Catholic faith and became a longtime voice for Black Catholics across the Arlington diocese and beyond. “I consider it a blessing from God to have lived this long and still be able to contribute something to the community,” she said.
Lucas recalled how, prior to Vatican II, Catholic liturgy seemed distant for some Black Americans, who considered its identity predominantly European. “African American parishioners were so conditioned that this was the Catholic way.” Post Vatican II, she saw more opportunities to express cultural identity and inclusivity within the church.
Lucas’ great, great uncle, Professor John Parker, was one of the founders of St. Joseph Church in Alexandria, the first Black Catholic parish established in the diocese. Lucas said that since its founding, there has been an opportunity to express culture. “It is essential for the African American tradition.”
One of the key components to the parish is the Gospel Choir, in which Lucas had sung soprano. Founded on Thanksgiving Day in 1976, the choir initially received pushback due to the “Baptist” influence.
“We had so much backlash from our parishioners saying we were bringing ‘Baptist stuff’ into the church,” she said. Since then, the choir has rapidly grown and become renowned in the diocese and beyond. Not only is the choir a beautiful testament to African American culture and identity, but it is a draw for the church. “People come (from) all across the world to visit St. Joseph’s,” she said. “It’s a unique parish because it was built for the African American community.”
Before moving out of the diocese to pursue further education, Lucas served as coordinator for the diocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministries and taught religious education at St. Joseph for approximately 25 years. In her work with Black Catholic ministries, Lucas described the monumental experience of the Black Catholic Congress held at Catholic University in Washington in 1987. It was the first time in almost 100 years that Catholics across the U.S. met about the needs for people of color within the Catholic Church.
In 2002, she led a team of delegates from the Arlington diocese to attend the National Black Catholic Congress in Chicago. The theme was “Black Catholic Leadership in the 21st Century: Solidarity in Action.” In a 2002 interview with the Catholic Herald, Lucas said, “As I look at our theme this year about Black Catholic leadership for the 21st century, I’m proud to say our theme is leadership in action and unity,” she said. “Our leadership model is Jesus. He was spiritually grounded, exemplified integrity and respected and loved all people.”
Amid her early work with the Arlington diocese to promote diversity within the church, Lucas expresses gratitude toward the Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore, as well as the Josephite priests (officially the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart). She described these key players as “essential for the growth of African American culture.” Lucas looks forward to seeing continuous efforts at cultural diversity grow within the church whether that be through religious education or diocesan-level initiatives.
