SAN DIEGO — Dr. Constance Carroll, the former chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, will share a reflection at this year’s Juneteenth Freedom Mass on June 19.
Juneteenth celebrates the day enslaved people in Texas learned that they were free, marking the end of slavery in the United States.
Bishop Robert McElroy will celebrate the annual Mass, which will be concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishops John Dolan and Ramón Bejarano.
All are invited to the Mass, which will be at 10 a.m., at St. Rita’s Parish, 5124 Churchward Street, San Diego CA, 92114.
Dr. Carroll is a long-time member of that parish, located in Southeastern San Diego.
The Juneteenth Mass is organized by the Diocesan Commission for African American Catholics, which works to share their history, faith traditions and concerns with the broader Catholic community.
“We want to share that this is where we come from, this is how far we have come,” said Rick Stewart, the commission’s chair, “although sometimes we feel like we’re going backwards.”
African Americans “add to the tapestry of life in this country, like all peoples who contribute to that tapestry.”
