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40 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2020 Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time. Introducing America's first Black Cardinal Wilton Daniel Gregory was born Dec. 7, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. It was at St. Carthage Grammar School, where he decided to become a priest. He earned a Doctorate in Liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome in 1980 and holds five Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from various universities in the US. He made history as Washington, D.C.'s first African American Archbishop. On Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, he made history again when Pope Francis named him a Cardinal, making him the first African American to hold a position in the Catholic church's highest governing body. Wilton Gregory was ordained to the priesthood in Chicago in 1973 and named a Bishop in 1994. He served 11 years before being named an Archbishop in 2005. The advancement of Archbishop Gregory's position to Cardinal comes after the increase in conversations on racial injustices in the U.S. "Pope Francis is sending a powerful message of hope and inclusion to the Church in the United States by naming Archbishop Wilton Gregory a Cardinal," says Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Gregory has pushed for Church leaders to improve race relations and has emphasized how important it is for young Black Catholics to see a bishop who looks like them. "We have the privilege of the task of advancing the goals that were expressed in the speeches made by Martin Luther King, Jr. and others during the famous March on Washington 57 years ago. Men and women, young and old, and people of every racial and ethnic background are needed in this effort," says Gregory. The newly elected Cardinal led the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002 toward a "zero tolerance" policy regarding the Church's sexual abuse crisis. He has been a strong supporter of racial justice, the LGBTQ community in the Church, an advocate for immigration reform, and a commissioner of a climate action plan for Catholics at church and at home to protect the environment. The ceremony to induct the new Cardinals was held on Nov. 28 in Rome. Nine of the 13 cardinals, including Gregory, are under the age of 80 and are eligible to appoint Pope Francis' successor when he passes away or steps down. The next Zoom meeting will be on Monday, Dec. 7. For more information, call Betty Ann James at (951) 572-5538 or email infotoaacc@gmail.com. ~ Regina Thomas African American Cultural Club Italian American Club The Italian American Club, like many other clubs and groups, is not meeting as a result of the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 50 members, our club is too large to meet in person until the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Until then, stay in touch with each other and think about the kind of activities you would like to see us do once we meet again. Let Barbara Dipoma or Jerry Monahan know your ideas for our club. Once we get the approval to meet in person, we will notify everyone of the date, time, and place. We have been approved to be in The Courts Multipurpose Room on the second Thursday of each month. We are looking forward to seeing you all again in person. Please stay safe and healthy and follow all the guidelines for your safety. Have a happy holiday season. ~ Barbara Dipoma and Jerry Monahan, (951) 212-8898 Father Wilton Gregory's photo for his priesthood ordination in 1973. (Photo by The Paul Studio, Chicago) Father Wilton Gregory greets parishioners Archbishop Wilton Gregory at St. Augustine Church in Washington, D.C.

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