Sr. Dr. Oralisa Martin
President
Sr. Dr. Oralisa Martin, D. Min., a native of New Orleans, LA, is one of the leading African American Catholic keynote speakers for (arch)diocesan programs, parish anniversaries, conferences, and church events in the United States. Sr. Martin has ministered in more than thirty (arch) dioceses including Belize, Central America, and the Bahamas.
Sr. Martin taught for twenty years in various Catholic high schools empowering her students for leadership positions in the world, society, communities, churches, and families. Sr. Martin served as consultant for Black Catholics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles under the auspices of Archbishop Roger Mahony, local Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA. As consultant, she founded in 1986 The African American Catholic Catechetical Conference and the African American Catechetical Institute. There, African American Catholics assembled for workshops taught by Black Catholic theologians, liturgists, catechists, Black musicians, Biblical scholars, and youth ministers.
In 1986 Sr. Oralisa Martin introduced to the Black Catholic community of Los Angeles a changed identity from Black Catholics to African American Catholics to strengthen their African identity within the Church. As consultant for African American Catholics
Sr. Oralisa Martin became nationally known and participated in (arch) diocesan conferences as keynote speaker, workshop presenter, retreat director, trainer in youth ministry, and evangelist for parish Revivals/Missions. She is gifted in designing catechetical programs to meet the spiritual needs of God’s people. She’s insightful, a deep thinker, and a trailblazer. Sr. Thea Bowman taught Sr. Oralisa preaching in the Institute of Black Catholic Studies. Her words to Sister Oralisa were: “Wow! You’re naturally gifted. I just have to get you ready for our people.” And that she did.
Sr. Dr. Oralisa Martin currently serves as president of ORACLE Religious Association (ORA), based in Washington, DC, which she founded in 1992. Through ORACLE Religious Association, a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) status, Sr. Oralisa founded and conducts the ORACLE National Summer Institute for Youth. The design of this ORACLE youth program was sent by The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) directly to the Holy See Synod Office in Rome in the preparation for the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Sr. Oralisa is a member of the National Catholic Youth Association (NCYA).
In her women’s ministry, Sr. Oralisa designs and gives retreats. Her most notable retreat is WWW : Well Women Witness. She has addressed the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Peter Claver at their National Convention; “The Women Christian Fellowship,” and “National Council of Negro Women” District of Columbia Section #2, plus the Sodality of the Church of the Nativity Sodality, in Washington, DC. Sr. Dr. Martin has authored ORACLE: A Text for African American Youth Ministry, WWW: Well Women Witness – Letters from Christ, and The Path of the Suffering Savior – JESUS CHRIST (companion text, prayer book, prayer cards, and Meditation posters). She is now founder of the ORACLE Conference, a major program for evangelization.
Sr. Dr. Martin holds a Master of Religious Education (MRE) from Loyola University (1983), and a Master of Theology (ThM) from Xavier University, the Institute of Black Catholic Studies (1989), New Orleans, Louisiana. She also received her Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) from Howard University School of Divinity (summa cum laude - 1993), Washington, DC.
Sr. Dr. Oralisa Martin currently serves as president of ORACLE Religious Association (ORA), based in Washington, DC, which she founded in 1992. Through ORACLE Religious Association, a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) status, Sr. Oralisa founded and conducts the ORACLE National Summer Institute for Youth. The design of this ORACLE youth program was sent by The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) directly to the Holy See Synod Office in Rome in the preparation for the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Sr. Oralisa is a member of the National Catholic Youth Association (NCYA).
In her women’s ministry, Sr. Oralisa designs and gives retreats. Her most notable retreat is WWW : Well Women Witness. She has addressed the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Peter Claver at their National Convention; “The Women Christian Fellowship,” and “National Council of Negro Women” District of Columbia Section #2, plus the Sodality of the Church of the Nativity Sodality, in Washington, DC. Sr. Dr. Martin has authored ORACLE: A Text for African American Youth Ministry, WWW: Well Women Witness – Letters from Christ, and The Path of the Suffering Savior – JESUS CHRIST (companion text, prayer book, prayer cards, and Meditation posters). She is now founder of the ORACLE Conference, a major program for evangelization.
Sr. Dr. Martin holds a Master of Religious Education (MRE) from Loyola University (1983), and a Master of Theology (ThM) from Xavier University, the Institute of Black Catholic Studies (1989), New Orleans, Louisiana. She also received her Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) from Howard University School of Divinity (summa cum laude - 1993), Washington, DC.