A trinity of gifts for a faithful friend

By SUSAN BRINKMAN
CS&T Correspondent

The faithful turned out in great numbers to show their appreciation and love at St. Peter Claver Evangelization Center recently at a Mass of Thanksgiving for the many years of service given to the Black Catholic community by Mrs. Patricia Shelton.
Shelton, who directed the Archdiocesan Office for Black Catholics (OBC) for sixteen years, will retire June 30.
She was honored at the Mass on June 21. The newly appointed director of the Office for Black Catholics, Reverend Stephen D. Thorne, was the main celebrant and homilist.
“I was a kid when I first went to the Office of Black Catholics,” Father Thorne said, “and now our paths are crossing again.” He thanked Shelton for all the support she had shown him, as well as for her support and love for the Catholic Church.
Bishop-elect Joseph R. Cistone was on hand to extend the Cardinal’s deep gratitude for Shelton’s faithfulness and for “your untiring patience in following the Lord Jesus, and in celebrating who you are here at the Catholic Church.
“And in a particular way, the Cardinal wanted me to extend his thanks to Pat for her many, many years of unselfish and dedicated service to the Church,” Bishop-elect Cistone said.
He described the celebration as “bittersweet,” saying that although Shelton will no longer be active in the OBC, “I have a feeling she’s not going to disappear and for that we are all very, very grateful.”
He also commended Father Thorne for accepting the new responsibility as Director of the OBC, an appointment that he called, “a testimony of Cardinal Rigali’s love for this ministry and love for African-American Catholics.”
Shelton was presented with a “trinity of gifts” that included flowers and a framed picture of the OBC logo. Because she’s a fan of the blues, the third gift was a certificate to Warm Daddy’s, a blues restaurant on Front Street.
“She was really excited about that,” Father Thorne said. “Her mother was at the Mass and she loves that kind of music too so they were both happy with that.”
Another favorite musical style, gospel, was provided for the Mass by one of Philadelphia’s finest gospel choirs, Tonya Dorsey and the Hope Singers from Our Lady of Hope parish in north Philadelphia.
Father Thorne was pleased with the celebration. “It was a nice mixture of people, from the community, diocesan offices, Bishop-elect Cistone and a number of priests. The President of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Sister Monica Loughlin, was there and I made a comment in my homily about how the Sisters had come there in the very early days of St. Peter Claver Church to teach the children. All the people just rose out of their seats and applauded. It was a wonderful, spontaneous show of reverence and love for St. Katharine Drexel and all she did to serve God’s people.”
The evening was truly a celebration of faithful friends, like St. Katharine Drexel, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Patricia Shelton, and countless others who devoted their lives to serving the Black Catholic community.

Contact Susan Brinkmann at fiat723@aol.com or (215) 965-4615