Oh! What a Beautiful City
‍Historic Negro Spiritual

Refrain

Oh, what a beautiful city
Oh, what a beautiful city

Oh, what a beautiful city
Twelve gates to the city, hallelujah

Verse

There's three gates in the East
There's three gates in the West
There's three gates in the North
There's three gates in the South
That makes twelve gates to the city
Hallelujah

When I first began to prepare for this homily, we were all still mourning and are continuing to mourn the passing of Pope Francis. We were praying for the Conclave, that the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, would continue to be with the Cardinals and remind them of all the things that Jesus has taught us and continues to teach us all through these centuries.

But then came a puff of white smoke and out on to the balcony stepped an American born Pope. A Chicago White Sox fan? A Pope who served in Peru! A Pope who was a leader in the Augustinian order! How could this be? Yes! I wanted to sing!

For so many of us Black Catholics, we also began to think about Pope Leo XIV’s heritage. On his father’s side, perhaps coming out of Cuba and Coming out of Haiti. And on his mother’s side, coming out from the Free People of Color in New Orleans. Well indeed that got many of us thinking, hoping and praying even harder that this heritage, this widening of the vision of who we are as American Catholics might help to move forward that canonization process of our “Saintly Seven…” those African Americans on the road to canonization. And yet, here we are in 2025, and we still don’t have not one single canonized African American.

In particular, I am thinking of Venerable Pierre Toussaint from Haiti, enslaved in New York City. He became free, was an entrepreneur and incredibly charitable. I am thinking about Venerable Mother Mary Lange, also from Haiti. In Baltimore she founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence. Yes indeed! That historic and first order of Black sisters, still in existence and ministering today. And indeed, I am thinking about Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, a Free Person of Color in New Orleans, who founded the Society (Sisters) of the Holy Family. They are still in existence and ministering today.

I am thinking about a vision of who we are. And thinking about that widening of the vision and shining of a spotlight on the many heritages of people who are Catholic in these United States and in these Americas.

And yes! I am asking that question. I am asking that question of all of us. When we imagine what our beautiful city could become, will become… When we continue to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit. How do we envision that beautiful city?

Twelve gates to the city, Hallelu!