National Office for Black Catholics (NOBC), 1971-1982
Scope and Contents
Collected papers of Clarence Joseph Rivers, documenting his activities as a priest, liturgist, composer, and public speaker. His impact on American Catholic life, particularly that of Black Catholics, is reflected in his awards, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. His ministry and professional engagement papers document his involvement with organizations such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellows Program, the National Office for Black Catholics (NOBC), Purcell High School, and Stimuli, Inc. His personal materials include biographical and family ephemera and photographs, as well as materials from Rivers' travels to Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. The collection also features published and unpublished versions of Rivers' liturgy, music, sermons, speeches, and other writings, notably An American Mass program (1963) and A Mass dedicated to the brotherhood of man (1967).
Dates
- Creation: 1971-1982
Creator
- From the Collection: Rivers, Clarence Joseph (1931 September 9-2004 November 21) (Person)
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Historical note: National Office of Black Catholics (NOBC)
The National Office of Black Catholics (NOBC) was a cooperative effort of various Black Catholic organizations, with the endorsement of the Bishops' Conference of the United States. Its mission was to make the Church relevant to the needs of the Black community; to assist generally in the Black liberation movement; to assist Black Catholics in their efforts to become self-determining and to become an effective voice in the whole of Church government; and to enable Afro-American Catholics to follow Pope Paul's exhortation to contribute to the whole Church their "valuable and unique gift of Blackness which [the Church] needs".
Rivers served as Editor of NOBC's quarterly publication Freeing the Spirit: The Magazine of Black Liturgy and as the Director of NOBC's Department of Culture and Worship from 1971 to 1974. He continued serving as a consultant and a contributing writer after leaving NOBC.
Full Extent
4.792 Linear Feet (5 containers)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Arrangement
Chronological.
Repository Details
Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861
burns@bc.libanswers.com