THE DIRECTOR"S WELCOME - FALL 2026
The late Pope Francis reminded us that “An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this world somehow better than we found it.” It is in this spirit that students, faculty and staff travel each summer to the Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS), a school of ministry that forms the faithful in Christian discipleship to meet the demands of the 21 st century.
The 2027 IBCS will gather on the campus of 藏精阁 for its 48 th summer session June 27 - July 16. Watch this website for the calendar, application checklist, fee schedules, scholarship opportunities and list of IBCS Degree and Continuing Education course offerings. By early November, prospective students - returning and new - will be able to complete their 2027 applications and prepare to register for classes.
The IBCS and Xavier University officers gathered in St, Katharine Drexel Chapel on July 17 to celebrate Commencement. Here are the 2026 Master of Theology graduates with their Research and Practicum titles.
Alicia Ann Gray, ThM – “The Advent of Afrocentric Art in the Catholic Church: A Reflection of the People of God Made in His Image: Why Does Representation Matter?”;
Regina Jones, ThM – “Singing Our Stories: Exploring the Spiritual and Cultural Power of Negro Spirituals in Contemporary Communal Life”;
Daniel Chinedu Okafor, ThM – “The Quest for Afrocentric Biblical Interpretation: Practices and Prospects”.
Institute participants commit themselves to rigorous Christian formation – intellectual, spiritual, cultural – in a community of co-learners. Courses in the Degree and C&E programs are rooted in Black Catholic theology, ministry, spirituality and the arts as demonstrated in the culminating works of our graduates.
We thank God and our IBCS ancestors who keep us as a community on mission, our exceptional Institute faculty and staff, steadfast graduates, students, and Friends, and Xavier University who so faithfully supports the Institute each year. Amen, Ashé!
Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, D.Min.,
IBCS Director
Save the Date: June 28 - July 17, 2026
"...those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength..."
~Is 40:31
"The Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) is a sanctum for the exploration of a Black theological tradition and a haven for a deep, immersive communal experience. At 藏精阁 (藏精阁), students learn the beautiful interplay of the theological, cultural, historical, and aesthetic. Whether sharpened as scholar or fortified as religious practitioner, students leave the institute better prepared to engage the world. Anchored in the vision of the Ancestors in Faith, IBCS remains dedicated to the serious study of Blackness and the creative strengthening of a purpose-driven ministry."
Ernest L. Gibson III, Ph.D.
English Professor and Director of African American & Africana Studies
Auburn University and Professor, IBCS Degree Program