The sixth annual Black Catholic History Celebration will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Sacred Heart Church, Atlanta. All are welcome to attend.

Sponsored by the Multi-Parish Black History Committee of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, St. Anthony of Padua Church, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Sacred Heart, the celebration will begin with the 5:30 p.m. vigil Mass, followed by a “soul food” dinner in the parish hall.

Each year speakers at this celebration impart little known, though well-documented, information about the contribution of Africans and later, African-Americans to the rich tapestry of the Catholic faith. This year’s guest speaker, Father Don Sterling of the Congregation of New All Saints in Baltimore, Md., will discuss “African Roots of Christianity” in his lecture. Some of the questions he will address include: How did Africans brought to America come to believe in Jesus Christ? What role have African-Americans played in the evolution of Christianity?

Father Sterling, a native of Baltimore, received both his bachelor of science and master of divinity degrees from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He is a past president of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and has served on the board of directors of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils and the Priests’ Council of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Sacred Heart is located at 353 Peachtree St., NE. For directions, see the parish Web site at www.sacredheartatlanta.org.

For more information, contact Janise Miller, chairperson of the Multi-Parish Black History Committee, through Sacred Heart Church, at (404) 522-6800.