By Susan Brinkmann
CS&T Correspondent

Sonji Robinson, the former program director of the St. Peter Claver Evangelization Center, was appointed administrator of the Ministry to African-American Catholics program, the certificate program offered at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.
Robinson, 36, who holds an MBA, is currently studying for a masters in pastoral and spiritual theology at St. Charles Seminary. She is the first to hold the position since the MAAC program began three years ago.
“We’ve had MAAC in place for a few years and there was nobody overseeing it,” said Anne Reimel, the president of the Martin de Porres Foundation, which funds the MAAC program. “All along, we envisioned a director for the program … not only helping people get into the right field but then going back into parishes and making sure there was a place for them to use their skills.”
The MAAC program is a 24-credit certificate program in religious studies with a concentration in ministry to Black Catholics.
This certificate prepares Black Catholics for leadership positions in their parish ministries.
It took some time to get the position in place, Reimel said, “but I think the good Lord was waiting for Sonji. I think she’s going to do a fabulous job.”
Robinson certainly has the background needed. Her job at the Evangelization Center gave her firsthand knowledge of the people, parishes and concerns of the black community in the Archdiocese. She was also a member of the first class of MAAC graduates.
“I think I have an advantage, having been through the MAAC program, knowing what it involves, and working in the St. Peter Claver (Evangelization) Center … to network with the people, meet the people, know the people and know the pastors.” she said.
She’s already preparing to contact the parishes through a questionnaire that asks pastors what ministry positions they would allow a person with a MAAC certificate to perform in their parish.
“A pastor might say, ‘Well, if someone in my parish had a MAAC certificate, they could run our CCD or they could organize our parish lectors or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, provided they have experience in that area.’ Then, I ask them who’s currently running the CCD program and who’s in charge of the extraordinary ministers or the hospitality committee, and I ask what kind of training have they had? In most cases, I’m finding, they’re volunteers with life experience.
These are the people who would be the most interested in how much a MAAC certificate can enhance their abilities — and maybe even their paycheck.
“The more education they receive, the more certification they get, it certainly affects their pay scale. So it’s a bonus,” Robinson said,
Even for blacks who are not involved in ministry, the program has much to offer. “When someone questions your Catholic identity, you need to know your history. There’s that old saying, ‘If you don’t know who you are, you don’t know where you’re going.’ That is definitely a part of this. Knowing the history of African popes and of black saints and holy men and women, can really sustain you when you’re feeling disconnected,” Robinson said.
She knows because she’s been there. “When we were kids, our religious education was kind of whitewashed. It wasn’t until I was an adult and returned and learned on a totally different level that I really could appreciate the tradition, the doctrine, the customs. It makes much more sense when you learn it as an adult.”
Robinson encourages people who are interested in furthering their education in Catholic ministry to start by attending conferences and one-day workshops such as those regularly offered at the Evangelization Center. “Get your feet wet, so to speak, in a short-term non-threatening way, then come out to the seminary and take a more in-depth program like MAAC.”
Those who are unable to travel to St. Charles Seminary can make use of several satellite locations — such as Lansdale Catholic High School in Montgomery County, St. Peter Claver Evangelization Center in Center City and Archbishop Ryan High School — where MAAC courses are offered. All classes are paid for by the Martin de Porres Foundation.
The MAAC program is not just for Black Catholics, however. “People think MAAC equals black,” Robinson said, “but MAAC does not equal black. That’s really a misconception because of the specialized courses attached to the MAAC certificate. The MAAC certificate actually parallels the Catholic religious studies certificate offered at St. Charles Seminary. The only addition is there are some specialized courses that concentrate on black spirituality in the Catholic Church. There’s not a person who is ministering in the Black Catholic community — African-American or not — who can’t attend the seminary for the MAAC program free-of-charge.”
Robinson is in charge of marketing and promoting MAAC, performing the necessary follow-up for graduates, handling the budget and managing the program data-base.
For more information, contact Sonji at (610) 785-6578 or by e-mail at srobinso@adphila.org.

Contact Susan Brinkmann by e-mail: fiat723@aol.com

MAAC Course Schedule

The four-part curriculum consists of 24 credits. Four core courses (12 credits) in Catholic theology; two specialized courses (six credits) in the history and faith of African-American Catholics; one elective course (three credits) and one practicum course (three credits).
Core Courses: 
RS100 Sacred Scripture Course
RS241 Theology of the Church
RS295 Catechism of the Catholic Church Pillars I & III
RS296 Catechism of the Catholic Church Pillars II & IV 
Specialized courses:
RS245 The History of Black Catholics in the United States
RS420 Pastoral Issues in African-American Communities