Archbishop Shelton Fabre elected USCCB domestic justice chair

Up the parkway from Washington, a different kind of election took place on Tuesday at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott Hotel, where Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville was elected chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

The ballot was one of several for committee positions in the USCCB, which was holding the first of two livestreamed public sessions during its fall general assembly. The domestic justice chair is currently held by Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

Fabre, a 61-year-old African-American Catholic who serves as a bishop-consultor on the committee, was nominated for chairman by his fellow bishops, as announced by the USCCB in October.

“I am honored that my brother bishops have entrusted me to lead the Committee,” said Fabre in a statement. “I look forward to working with the committee as we continue to advance the social mission of the Church through education and advocacy.”

Fabre won almost exactly two-thirds of the vote over Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of Paterson, defeating him by a count of 158-81. His three-year term will begin upon the bishops’ next fall meeting in November 2025.

Upon taking his position as domestic justice chair, Fabre will be tasked with leading a second wing of the USCCB’s new Secretariat for Justice and Peace, having previously served as head of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism from 2018 to 2023. He requested a new leader be named for that group shortly after his appointment as Archbishop of Louisville in 2022.

The overarching secretariat, formed in August to replace the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development, has recently been involved in controversy. Ralph McCloud, a Black Catholic who had directed its Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) since 2008, resigned under duress in April—following what has been described as a targeted campaign by some bishops against the program, which financially supported poverty alleviation initiatives throughout the country. 

McCloud’s ouster came alongside the news of layoffs throughout the department, just months before the USCCB leadership announced its replacement with the new secretariat. As part of the changes, the CCHD was placed under the bishops’ Office of National Collections, having formerly reported to the domestic justice committee.

Fabre, who in his new role will likely still have some interaction with the program, is one of two Black Catholic bishops who took center stage during Tuesday’s proceedings in Baltimore. The other, Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. of Washington, gave a presentation to the assembled body on Black Catholic History Month. The weekslong commemoration is not typically mentioned during the bishops’ fall assemblies, which take place in November each year.

“As you know, [Black Catholics] have a long legacy of faithfulness to our Church,” said Campbell, who has served as president of the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC) since 2019.

“I thank all of you for what you have done to keep that far burning.”

Campbell’s address included part of a documentary created by the NBCC for its national gathering in 2023, featuring Black Catholics describing their history and journey of faith. The quinquennial event, which also took place in Maryland, included the formation of a Black Catholic pastoral plan, which Campbell encouraged his fellow bishops to read and implement.

He also centered six of the seven African-American Catholics up for sainthood, one of whom—Venerable Mary Lange—was based in Baltimore during her life. Another, Servant of God Thea Bowman, famously addressed the nation’s bishops 35 years ago this June, shortly before her death from cancer.

“Their lives remind us of the holiness and resilience of Black people in the midst of much injustice,” said Campbell. “One day, we hope to call all of them saints of the holy Roman Catholic Church.”

The USCCB’s general assembly will continue on Wednesday with its final public session, to be livestreamed on YouTube beginning at 10:45am ET.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

Want to support the work of BCM? You have options.

a.) click to give (fee-free) on Zeffy

b.) click to give on Facebook