Parishioners at St. Charles Borromeo, St. Francis, celebrated Deacon Ben Black Bear’s 50th anniversary of ordination on July 19. Deacon’s granddaughter and two great granddaughters brought up the gifts. A short program followed the Anniversary Mass which featured Father John Hatcher, SJ, reading a proclamation from the State of South Dakota declaring July 19, Deacon Ben Black Bear, Jr., Day. 

“I have known Ben Black Bear since 1972. That’s when I met this person who was committed to Jesus, and to the church, and to his community, and he wanted to serve,” said Father Hatcher during the program. “As it happened, we were able to bring a program to this reservation that could make that happen and I watched him grow over those years before his ordination and I always admired him for his strength, his faith, and his community.” 

A proclamation from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Office of the President highlighted his work to “maintain our identity as a people by keeping our language, history, and culture alive.” 

Deacon Black Bear was ordained to the permanent diaconate by Bishop Harold J. Dimmerling in St. Charles Church at St. Francis Mission, June 19, 1976. He and his wife, Arlene D. Crow Eagle Black, have five daughters and four sons. 

He was assigned to the St. Charles Parish in St. Francis. He also worked at other parishes occasionally — Rosebud, Parmelee, and Mission. “I conducted wakes and funerals all over the Rosebud Reservation including Mellette, Tripp and Gregory Counties. I was also active in the St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s Societies until the 1980s. I was a member of the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Circles,” said Deacon Black Bear in a 2021 interview with the West River Catholic.   

In 1990, he was appointed as the Director of Native Concerns. After working for the bishop, he returned to St. Francis mission and was the Director of the Buechel Memorial Lakota Museum for a year. After 25 years he resigned from working for the tribe. Then, he was hired at St. Francis Mission as the Lakota Studies expert. He also taught Lakota at the Sapa Un Academy. 

The celebration concluded with a community dinner. 

(Photos courtesy Jenny Black Bear)