There’s an interesting article at the Atlantic on black American Catholics. Among its several interesting aspects is that it makes the claim, counter-intuitive to me, that there are more black Catholics in the United States than members of the AME Church (African Methodist Episcopal).
I don’t know whether this is actually the case but it has been my observation and experience that there is a social aspect behind black church membership in particular. As blacks rise in the social scale they go from being Baptists or AME to Catholics, Episcopalians, and Lutherans.
Alos ponder the Edmundites, German monks who were sent to Alabama in the late 1860’s to minister to the black belt, despite not being able to speak English. Some how they thrived and are still active in the Selma area. Or the Knights of Peter Claver a parallel to the Knights of Columbus and are a rung on the social ladder.
The primary message of mercy of the Catholic Church appeals to me, too.
Catholic social services has been very busy bringing in converts from the colonies, (Africa, Vietnam). Wonder if you break it down between slave ancestors and immigrants?