Virginia Catholics for Racial Justice

 Juneteenth at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception

 By Christopher Lamb

Calling on the spirit of freedom, the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, Virginia, put on a joyous event that took cues from our ancestral pasts and cultural roots.  Acknowledging Juneteenth in the year of our Lord 2025, the celebration brought together people from all walks of life to look back, walk forward and embrace a brighter future.

Juneteenth is a commemoration, shining a light on the end of slavery in the United States.  Combining the words June and nineteenth, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger fully enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of American Civil War.  Up until that point, slavery ended around the country at various different points.    With the 13^th Amendment, the institution was formally abolished, marking the year as the official legal dissolution of chattel slavery in the country.

In 2021, the day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 by President Joe Biden and the 117^th United States Congress, becoming the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.  Now we celebrate this day yearly at the Basilica with a wonderous event.

Following such a solemn moment, laughter and amusement retired as the Puppet Queen herself, Ms. Darlene Green, put on a show featuring her puppets telling a fun tale about the importance of Juneteenth, tied into her newest book of the same topic.  Her animated presentation delighted the children and adults alike, a testament to her strong storytelling.

Midway through the day, Juneteenth was observed with a special mass, with Father Jim Curran, rector, presiding over the Mass.  Following the Liturgy, meals were served to the hungry attendees.  The fellowship filled the room over a filling lunch of fish and hot sides, followed with two cakes to commemorate the celebration.  All the while the Caribbean tones of the steel drum kept the mood bright and warm, a continued reminder of our cultural pride.

In a further display of cultural pride, bright shades and fine fashion, a runway show featuring the designs of Abena Oforo took place next, with the ladies – and one young man – strutting their stuff in Kente cloth and ensembles inspired from lands across the water.  The showcase of traditional styles and modern wear was a visual feast of heritage, identity and natural faith, complimented by the steel drum and applause from the audience.

As the sun set on the event, the adults and elders of the community joined hands, encircling the youth in a show of the wonder and oneness of God’s grace, singing the songs of Marvin Gaye and calling upon the love of the creator for the youth.  It was a call for peace, for equality, and eternal love for the future of both the church and the world as a whole.

The Basilica Juneteenth event served as a reminder that through meaningful ritual, remembrance, forward thinking and gazing towards the future, the spirit of the occasion will always stand strong as a living monument to strength, healing and kinship.