In July 2007 another historic National Black Catholic Congress --- the 10th in a series that began Jan. 1, 1889 --- will convene in Buffalo, N.Y. The congress theme is, "Christ Is With Us: Celebrating the Gifts of the Sacraments."

In the months leading up to this congress, I think it is good to look at the state of black Catholic ministry in the United States, its achievements and challenges.

Less than 10 percent of some 36 million blacks in the United States today identify themselves as Catholic. That's less than any other racial group.

What has the church done over the years to increase its black membership?

In a nutshell, it has given financial support to black missions, parishes and efforts to evangelize, established numerous diocesan or archdiocesan offices for black Catholic ministry, given its blessing to religious orders serving in black communities and, in the late 1980s, created the Secretariat for African American Catholics to serve as the chief adviser to the U.S. bishops' Committee on African American Catholics.

Black Catholics themselves have come together to promote the church's apostolate in black communities. Organizations that address the concerns of the estimated 2.5 million black Catholics in the U.S. include the National Black Catholic Congress, national associations of African-American priests, sisters, deacons, seminarians and laity, the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver, the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators and other forums.

Yes, there are ongoing efforts to invite more blacks to membership and fuller participation in the church in the U.S. But is there something missing that the other 90 percent of U.S. blacks see quite clearly? I believe there is: What they don't see are whites themselves in church leadership positions extending a warm welcome. It is not enough to engage blacks to do this.

With those few exceptions where whites are involved actively in black ministries (for example, four of the seven bishops on the U.S. bishops' Committee on African American Catholics are white), welcoming invitations from U.S. church leaders are not very visible. I am not saying they aren't there; they are simply not very visible.

Visibility is an important consideration in this visually oriented age.

Blacks on the outside looking in on what they perceive as "the Catholic Church" may only be going by what is right in their faces: news coverage of aging white men who sometimes look stoic during celebrations of the Mass; well-connected white men and women and the occasional blacks who've gained entree to televised ordinations, papal visits, high-profile funerals and the like.

Blacks on the outside looking in may not be aware of the countless warm and welcoming Catholic parishes scattered throughout the U.S. that are indeed predominantly white or very diverse, for I have been to several myself. Nor do they always hear just how diligently some predominantly white pastoral teams are addressing racism within their ranks and ministering more effectively among black members.

A significant number of blacks are already in the water, a symbolism I will use here for the Catholic Church. They themselves are spearheading organizations serving the needs of their communities. They themselves, with major church funding, have developed excellent programs highlighting the cultural contributions of blacks to the church and combating the ills plaguing their communities. They are using their gifts to celebrate life in Christ.

Apparently this is not enough to change how the church is perceived.

When black Catholics say to other blacks, "Come on in, the water's fine!" the unchurched among those U. S. blacks who aren't Catholic just may be looking back thinking: "Not me! How can you stand the cold!"

Carole Norris Greene is a columnist with Catholic News Service.