Where to find a Catholic Black History Month event (2023 edition)

Fresh off of MLK Day celebrations in dioceses around the country, Black History Month is now upon us, bringing even more Black Catholicism and Black history. We have compiled here a list of such events throughout the nation in the coming days and weeks, both in-person and virtual.

(This list may not be exhaustive. Please contact your local diocese, Black Catholic office, or a Black parish in your area for more info. We will also be updating this page and the BCM calendar as more events are announced.)

National

• 2/1: Birthday of Langston Hughes, preeminent Black poet and longtime Massgoer.
• 2/3: Feast of Servant of God Mary Lange, founder of the nation’s first order of Black women religious (the Oblate Sisters of Providence).
• 2/4, 9 (virtual): Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver Young Adult Days of reflection for the National Black Catholic Congress.
• 2/6: National Day of Prayer for the African American and African Family
• 2/8: Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the first Black woman canonized in the modern era.
• 2/8 (virtual): Lunchtime Lagniappe at 1pm CT with Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson, descendants of the parties involved in the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896.
• 2/11: Birthday of Mother Mary Theodore Williams, FHM, founder of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary.
• 2/25 (virtual): Knights of Peter Claver systemic racism webinar with Sr Eva Marie Lumas, SSS; Fr Michael Pfleger of Chicago; Therese Wilson Favors of Baltimore; and Erin-Michael Tyler of Montgomery.
• 2/27: Birthday of Fr Patrick Healy, SJ, one of the earliest Black priests in America and the “second founder” of Georgetown University..

Arlington

• 2/10: BHM Mass at 7pm ET with Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. of Washington at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston.
• 2/12: Coffee with local Black authors at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria at 9am ET.

Baltimore

• 2/4 (hybrid): Feast day Mass for Servant of God Mary Lange and recommitment ceremony for Lange guild members at 2pm ET with Fr Patrick Monahan, OFM Cap. And Deacon Curtis Turner at Our Lady of Mount Providence Convent.
• 2/2-28: BHM event series at Loyola University Maryland
• 2/19: BHM celebration at 1pm ET with NSAA African Creations at St. Matthew Catholic Church.

Boston

• 2/5: BHM Mass at 11:30am ET with Fr James Pierce, SJ at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church.

Bridgeport

• 2/9: MLK Convocation with Dr. Karsonya Wise Whitehead at Fairfield University’s Kelley Theatre in Fairfield.

Brooklyn

• 2/4: “Going Home Like A Shooting Star: Thea Bowman's Journey To Sainthood” screening at 3pm ET at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Springfield Gardens.
• 2/4, 18, 25: Black History Month Film Festival at 3pm ET in the rectory of Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church.
• 2/5: BHM Mass at 10am ET with Deacon Rachid Murad at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.
• 2/5: BHM Mass at 11am ET with Fr Pierre Toussaint Guiteau, CFR at St. Clare Catholic Church in Queens.
• 2/11: Joint BHM Mass with Bishops John Barres and Robert J. Brennan and homilist Fr Anthony Bozeman, SSJ at the Cathedral of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre.
• 2/12: BHM Mass at 9am ET with Fr Dwayne Davis at Sts. Michael & Malachy Catholic Church. Presentation to follow.
• 2/26: BHM Mass at 9am ET with Chris Smith, SJ and Mike Delouis at Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church. Reception to follow.

Camden

• 2/4: “Six Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood” performance at 7pm ET with ValLimar Jansen at Camden Catholic High School.

Charleston

• 2/3 (virtual): First Friday Table Talk at 10am ET with Sr Roberta Fulton, SSMN, Michael Gourdin, and Elease Amos-Goodwin.
• 2/17: “Open Wide Our Hearts” discussion at 6pm ET at the Diocese of Charleston Pastoral Center.
• 2/18: Black Catholics Heritage Celebration at 9am ET with Mass celebrant Bishop Jacques Fabre, CS at the Diocese of Charleston Pastoral Center.

Charlotte

• 2/11 (hybrid): “America’s Real Sister Act” lecture at 9:30am ET with Dr. Shannen Dee Williams of Dayton University at the Rock Hill Oratory in Rock Hill.

Chicago

• 2/5: African-American Speaking Series at 10am CT with Dr. Cornel West at St. Sabina Catholic Church.
• 2/26: 29th annual Archbishop James P. Lyke African American Male Image Awards ceremony at 2pm CT with Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary Court #181 at Georgios Banquets in Orland Park.

Colorado Springs

• 2/12: BHM Mass in honor of Servant of God Julia Greeley at 10:30am MT at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.

Columbus

• 2/26: BHM Mass and celebration at 9:30am ET at Holy Rosary-St. John Catholic Church.

Dallas

• 2/15: “Tolton” play staging at Holy Cross Catholic Church at 7pm CT.
• 2/17: "Sankofa Series: Songs of a People" concert at 7pm CT with Ivan Griffin, Wilfred Delphin, and Michael Boucree at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
• 2/18: “Tolton” play staging at Trinity Hall at 2pm CT.

Detroit

• 2/24-25 (hybrid): “Songs of Freedom” concert series at 6pm ET nightly. (Different locations)

Fort Wayne-South Bend

• 2/16: "The Life and Witness of Augustus Tolton for the American Church Today" lecture with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry of Chicago at 7:30pm ET at the Holy Cross College's Driscoll Hall. Reception to follow.

Green Bay

• “Sankofa: Christian Mission for the 21st Century” at 5pm CT with Drs. Craig Ford Jr. and Kathleen Dorsey Bellow at St. Norbert College’s Fort Howard Theater.

Harrisburg

• 2/5: BHM Mass at 11:30am ET with Bishop Jerome Feudjio of the Virgin Islands at St Joseph Catholic Church in York.

Indianapolis

• 2/9: “Jazz is Love: The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams” Cyprian Davis Lecture at 7pm CT with Deanna Witkowski at St. Meinrad Seminary in St. Meinrad.

Lafayette

• “The Life and Times of Amedeé Ardoin” lecture at 12pm CT with Patricia Cravins at the NUNU Arts and Culture Collective in Arnaudville.

Los Angeles

• 1/30: “Rethinking Racism Through The Lens of Catholic Social Teaching” lecture at 7pm PT with Gloria Purvis at Loyola Marymount University’s Life Sciences Building Auditorium.

Milwaukee

• 2/4, 18: “Black Heritage of Faith and Healing” workshops at 8:3am CT at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.
• 2/24: BHM celebration at 5pm CT at St. Catherine’s High School in Racine.

Minneapolis

• 2/19: BHM concert at 7pm CT in the St Joan of Arc Catholic Church auditorium.

Natchez

• 2/1: “Celebration of Historical African American Sites” historical markers unveiling at 1:30pm CT, including for Holy Family Catholic Church, at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture.

New Orleans

• 2/14: BHM Convocation at Xavier University of Louisiana.

New York

• 2/4: “Black Faith Matters: Harlem” documentary premiere and panel discussion at 7pm ET at the Sheen Center in Manhattan.
• 2/5: BHM Mass and National Day of Prayer for the African American & African Family at 2pm ET with Bishop Jacques Fabre, CS and Fr Michael Thompson, SSJ at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
• 2/9 (virtual): Fordham University "Allowing Their Testimony: The Struggle for Six U.S. Black Catholic Saints" webinar at 7pm ET with Delores Moore, Ralph Moore Jr., and Fr Maurice Nutt, CSsR.

Newark

• 1/12: BHM Mass at 12pm ET with Cardinal Joseph Tobin, CSsR at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Oakland

• 2/5: Divine 9 Sunday at the 10am PT Mass for St. Columba Catholic Church.
• 2/8-12: Gospel Choir Workshop with M. Roger Holland II at St. Columba Catholic Church, culminating in 10:30am PT BHM Mass on 2/12.

Omaha

• 2/7: “Six Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood” performance at 7pm CT with ValLimar Jansen at St. Pius X Catholic Church.

Paterson

• 2/5: Ecumenical BHM worship service at 4pm ET with Pastors Randall Lassiter, Douglas Maven, and Kenneth D. R. Clayton at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

Pensacola -Tallahassee

• 1/29: BHM Mass at 2pm CT with Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington at Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Church in Niceville.

Philadelphia

• 2/6: Rooted Project presentation at 6pm ET with Angelina Lincoln, Colin McCrossan, and Nolan Varee in Villanova University's Driscoll Hall 132 Auditorium.
• 2/19 (hybrid): "St. Elizabeth’s Parish, Philadelphia: Forged in the Fire of the Great Migration" at 2pm ET with Connie McCalla at the American Catholic Historical Society HQ.

Richmond

• 2/8: Deacon Charles Williams Speaker Series and Mass at 6:30pm ET with Sr Cora Marie Billings, RSM at the Cathedral of the Sacred heart. Dinner included.

Rockville Centre

• 2/11: Joint BHM Mass with Bishops John Barres and Robert J. Brennan and homilist Fr Anthony Bozeman, SSJ at the Cathedral of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre.

Sacramento

• 2/11: BHM Lecture and Mass at 4pm PT with Fr Bart Landry, CSP and Rod Robinson at St. Anne Catholic Church. Potluck to follow.
• 2/25: BHM concert and Mass at 3:30pm PT with the Voices of Praise choir at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Elk Grove.

San Francisco

• 2/8 (virtual): Human Trafficking Rosary and webinar at 6pm PT for the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita.

San Jose

• 2/25: BHM Mass at 2pm PT with Bishop Oscar Cantú at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church.

Scranton

• 2/9: “Black History and Housing in Scranton” lecture at 6pm ET with Glynis Johns at the University of Scranton’s Moskowitz Theater.

Springfield (Illinois)

• 2/19: BHM Mass at 10:30am CT at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Collinsville. Paid luncheon to follow.

St. Augustine

• 2/2-4: Flight to Freedom festival at Fort Most Historic State Park.
• 2/10-19: Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Series at Fort Mose Historic State Park.

St. Louis

• 2/26: BHM film screening and celebration at 3pm CT at the St. Charles Lwanga Center.

Toledo

• 2/26: BHM concert at 5pm ET with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.

Washington

• 2/1: BHM presentation at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown at 6pm ET.
• 2/2, 9, 16 (hybrid): "Soul Food Thursdays" lectures at 1:30pm ET at Trinity Washington University's Payden Academic Center.
• 2/5: BHM Worship and Mass at 8:30am ET with Cardinal Wilton Gregory at Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Catholic Church.
• 1/19 (virtual): BHM “Virtual Tea” at 3pm ET with Sr Patty Chappell, SNDdeN
• 2/8: BHM Black alumni panel at 7pm ET in Fr. O'Connell Hall’s Craves Family Alumni Center at the Catholic University of America.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger and a seminarian with the Josephites.

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