Inaugural Gala
Fundraising Reception
A gift to the Church and to the world
The first ever.
The Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Student Center & HU Bison Catholic ministry hosted its first ever fundraising gala reception on November 6, 2024. The evening was a success with over 170 attendees, including a Bishop, priests, lay leaders in the Church, Howard students and alumni. We gathered and celebrated the miraculous work that is happening on Howard’s campus through this ministry. As the ministry continues to grow and reach more students, we are seeking to increase our donor base to support the needs of an expanding ministry.
Fundraising Goal
With this gala reception, we raised $35,000! This puts us at 70% of our goal for the evening. To help us reach our goal please follow the link below. With the money raised, we are able to sustain our current ministry programming which includes weekly fellowship nights, offering Sunday Mass on campus, hosting/attending retreats, and taking students to national conferences. Future plans we have include establishing a Black Catholic Resource Library at our Bowman Center, offering a Senior Transition retreat for our seniors as they graduate, and incorporating a larger staff to accommodate our growing student involvement!
“What does it mean to be Black and Catholic? It means that I came to my church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it? I came to my church fully functioning. I bring myself, my black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become, I bring my whole history, my traditions, my experience, my culture, my African American song and dance and gesture and movement and teaching and preaching and healing and responsibility as a gift to the Church”
— Sr. Thea Bowman
Become a Friend
Attendees were invited to be part of the inaugural class of our new “Friends of HU Bison Catholic” Initiative. With this pledge, individuals and organizations would be making a commitment of $500-1500 annually to the ministries, which can be paid monthly, quarterly, or annually.
By joining the “Friends” of HU Bison Catholic, Friends will receive our annual newsletter and updates, special event invitations (such as Mass and fellowship with students), a thank you listing on our website, be included in our prayers, and other benefits.
You can join by going to our Donation page and signing up for a one-time or recurring gift.
Chapel Chair Sponsorships
In addition to the Friends program, we also have Chapel Chair sponsorships!
We are purchasing chairs for our new chapel attached to the Sr. Thea Bowman Catholic Student Center. Chapel Chair sponsorships can be purchased at $500 and a chair will be dedicated to the donor or whomever they choose to honor with the sponsorship. Gold plates with the name of the individual or individuals will be placed on the back of the chair. There are 30 chairs available for sponsorship.
Sponsorships can be purchased through our donate page by selecting “Chapel Chair Sponsorship” under the drop down menu.
Photos by Taylor Mickal
