SAINT JOSEPH COMMUNITY
OF
AFRICANS AND FRIENDS (SJCAF)

Our Parish is richly blessed with worshipers from around the world. This diversity presents a unique attraction for membership and a more relaxed community to worship. To properly harness and channel the potentials inherent in such diversity to the common good of our parish and beyond, fully engaging in the spiritual, social and economic life of our parish with Christ as the central focus, a formal organizational structure became necessary. 

The Saint Joseph Community of Africans and Friends is intended to serve this purpose by providing the structural and logistical framework for mutually inclusive multicultural fellowship and understanding. 

The vision is for an association within the parish that will promote African cultural and social values in line with the Catholic faith among its members, friends, and the community at large.

The mission of the Association is:

1. To mobilize and unite parishioners of African descent and their friends. 

2. To assist the pastor in promoting the welfare and religious activities of the parish. 

3. To attract new members to the parish, and ensure the retention of existing members. 

4. To create a forum where people of African descent and friends will identify and relate to promote the religious, cultural, social, educational, and fraternal goals of the parish. 

5. To sponsor and/or co-sponsor projects, and fund raising activities to support the parish and communities at large. 

6. To organize community outreach programs that can promote and enhance the health, welfare, and well-being of all parishioners, and the communities at large. 

Membership 

Membership is open to Catholic parishioners 18 years of age and older, who are of African descent and their friends who primarily worship at St. Joseph Catholic Church Largo, Maryland. 

Membership could be extended to parishioners of African descent and their friends, from other Catholic parishes. 

Membership eligibility shall be determined by the terms and conditions set forth in the Association Constitution and as may be duly amended in the future. 

There are two categories of membership: 

1. Single membership: To be extended to any qualifying member who is single, widowed, or married, and to a spouse who does not reside within the United States of America. 

2. Family membership: To be extended to all family units and their offspring, age 17 years or younger.

Meetings are held monthly every 4th Sunday- birthdays of members are celebrated every meeting with prayers, food and fellowship.

Programs:

1. Living Stations of the Cross – Good Friday
2. African Choir – select Masses
3. Catholic Charismatic Prayer group - Weekly
4. Saints of Africa Celebration - June
5. Anniversary Celebration – August
6. Harvest Thanksgiving Mass and Celebration
7. Christmas Carol Program - December
8. Christmas Tree – December

Contacts: 
John Adeleye, President – (202) 512-9448; [email protected];  

Ike Agbim, Communications – (202) 276 7796; [email protected]

John Leeke, Membership - Financial Dues – 301 221 3338; [email protected]