Therese Wilson Favors, the former director of African American Ministries for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, will deliver the keynote address at the Juneteenth celebration at St. Joseph Church on French Street in Wilmington on June 21.
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. The 13th Amendment, which ended slavery throughout the United States, was ratified six months later.
Favors has also worked as a professor at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in Louisiana, and she has been the program director and executive director of the National Black Catholic Congress. She was the director of evangelization at Corpus Christi Catholic Church and coordinator of elementary catechesis for the archdiocese.
She lectures throughout the country and prepares programs that focus on African-American issues. She is also a contributor to several books. In 2007, Favors received the papal honor of Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice from Pope Benedict XVI.
The event at St. Joe’s will begin at 6:30 p.m. It includes a prayer for unity, “Music of Our Journey,” and a Juneteenth supper. The music will be provided by the Wilmington Diocesan Gospel Choir, the Church of the Holy Child choir and musician Kevin Mucchetti.
It is free and open to the public. For more information, call (302) 658-4535.
