Where to find a Catholic Black History Month event (2024 edition)

Fresh off of MLK Day celebrations in dioceses around the country, Black History Month is now upon us, bringing even more celebrations. 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 (virtual): “What our students don’t know about Black Catholic history” workshop with Kaye Crawford at 10am CT. Contact aauzenne@archgh.org for more info.
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: 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.
2/11: Birthday of Mother Mary Theodore Williams, FHM, founder of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary.
2/27: Birthday of Fr Patrick Healy, SJ, one of the earliest Black priests in America and the “second founder” of Georgetown University..

Baltimore

2/1, 8, 15, 22, 29: 1828 Days historical gatherings at Saint Frances Academy at 10am ET. RSVP required.
2/10: In God’s Image workshop at St. Joseph Catfholic Church in Nottingham with Fr Josh Johnson at 8:30am ET. Registration required.
2/17: Black history celebration at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church at 11am ET.
2/25: “Six Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood” performance with ValLimar Jansen at 6:30pm ET. Registration required.
2/29: Catholic social teaching webinar with Adrienne Curry at 7pm ET.

Baton Rouge

2/4: BHM Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral with Bishop Michael Duca and homilist Fr Greg Chisholm, SJ at 1:30pm CT.

Boston

2/1-29: BHM event series at Boston College.

Bridgeport

2/21 (hybrid) “Why Venerable Mother Mary Lange Matters” lecture at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield with Dr. Shannen Dee Williams at 2pm ET.

Brooklyn

2/4: BHM Mass and art exhibition at St. Clare Catholic Church in Queens with Fr Anthony Bozeman, SSJ at 11am ET.
2/25: BHM Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Queens with Bishop Robert J. Brennan and homilist Fr Robert Seay, OFM at 4:30pm ET.
2/25: BHM Mass at Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church with Fr James Pierce, SJ and Mike DeLouis at 9am ET. Reception to follow.

Camden

2/3: BHM concert at the Catholic Community of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill with M. Roger Holland II at 7pm ET.
2/4: BHM Mass at the Catholic Community of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill with M. Roger Holland II at 10am ET.

Charleston

2/9-10: Black Catholic Heritage Celebration at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Columbia with Bishop Jacques Fabre, CS and Fr Michael Okere. Paid registration required.

Charlotte

2/25: BHM Mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greensboro at 11:30am ET.

Chicago

2/4, 16, 23: BHM speaker series at St. Sabina Catholic Church with Courtney Vance and Jenifer Lewis.
2/11: Venerable Augustus Tolton presentation at the Calumet City Historical Society Center in Calumet City with Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Joseph Perry at 3pm CT.

Columbus

2/18: BHM Mass at Holy Rosary-St. John Catholic Church at 9:30am ET. Program to follow.

Dallas

2/12-13: BHM Open House at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School.

Davenport

2/6, 13, 20 (virtual): “Black Like Me” book study with Pastor Rogers Kirk Jr. and Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat Center in Wheatland. $25 registration fee.

Detroit

2/17: A Conversation with Detroit Historian Jamon Jordan at Christ the King Catholic Church’s Koelzer Hall at 4pm ET. RSVP deadline 2/14.
2/23-24: “Songs of Freedom: Celebrating the Sacred Music of African American Composers” concert series at 7pm ET.

Fresno

2/4: BHM Mass at St. John’s Cathedral at 10:30am PT.

Harrisburg

2/11: BHM Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in East York with Bishop Timothy C. Senior at 11:30am ET. Social gathering to follow.

Honolulu

2/4: “Guide My Feet” gospel and spirituals concert at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Kailua, Oahu, at 4pm HAST.

Indianapolis

2/8: Fr Cyprian Davis Lecture at St. Meinrad Seminary’s St. Bede Theater with Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville at 7pm CT.

Jackson

2.11: BHM celebration at Holy Family Catholic Church in Natchez after the Sunday Mass at 8am CT.

Lafayette

2/25: Annual African Tea fundraiser at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Breaux Bridge with the Drexel Society at 2pm CT.

Louisville

2/20: Annual Thomas Merton Lecture at Bellarmine University with Dr. Raymond Carr at 7pm ET.

Los Angeles

2/1-24: BHM event series at Loyola Marymount University.
2/8: Rosary against Human Trafficking for the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach at 7pm PT.
2/10: BHM Mass and awards ceremony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels with Archbishop José H. Gómez at 5pm PT.

Memphis

2/24: “Faith Filled Hearts” Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala at The Great Hall & Conference Center in Germantown with St. Augustine Catholic Church at 6pm CT.

Milwaukee

2/1-29: BHM event series at Marquette University.

New Orleans

2/25: “Our Story in Words and Songs” performance at Corpus Christi-Epiphany Catholic Church at 4pm CT.

New York

2/1: BHM lecture at Fordham University’s McShane Center with Prof. Merle Collins at 6pm ET.
2/4: BHM Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral with Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Cape Coast at 2pm ET.
2/29: “A Catholic Reckoning on Slavery” at Fordham University's McNally Amphitheatre with Rachel L. Swarns at 6pm ET.

Newark

2/1-23: BHM event series at Seton Hall University in South Orange.
2/25: BHM Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart with Fr Anthony Bozeman, SSJ at 2:30pm ET.

Oakland

2/3-18: BHM Masses at St. Benedict Catholic Church.
2/3: Mardi Gras dance at Fr Jay Matthews Hall with St. Benedict Catholic Church at 5pm PT. RSVP required.
2/4-25: BHM Masses at St. Patrick Catholic Church.
2/4, 11: BHM Masses at St. Columba Catholic Church at 10:30am PT.
2/7-10: Gospel choir workshop at St. Columba Catholic Church with M. Roger Holland II.

Paterson

2/5: Ecumenical BHM worship service at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist with Bishop W. Darin Moore at 4pm ET.

Pensacola-Tallahassee

2/28: BHM Mass at Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Church in Niceville with Bishop William Wack, CSC and homilist Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. of Washington at 2pm CT.

Philadelphia

2/3: ”Selma” movie screening at St. Cyprian Catholic Church at 3pm ET.
2/10: Mardi Gras Cabaret at St. Cyprian Community Hall at 6pm ET. Rickets required.
2/24: “Black Panther” movie screening at St. Cyprian Catholic Church at 3pm ET.

Providence

2/1: MLK Prayer Luncheon and Vision Award Presentation at Providence College’s Slavin Center at 11:30am ET.

Rochester

2/2: “An Evening with the Saints” presentation at Immaculate Conception/St. Bridget Church with Almeta Whitis and Yvonne Thorne at 6:30pm ET.

San Francisco

2/6: Silk Speaker Series at the University Of San Francisco's War Memorial Gymnasium with Sterling K. Brown and Clarence B. Jones at 7pm PT.
2/18: BHM Mass at St. Boniface Catholic Church at 8am PT. Reception to follow.

San Jose

2/25: BHM Mass at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church with Bishop Oscar Cantú at 3pm PT. RSVP requested.

Spokane

2/1-24: BHM event series at Gonzaga University.

Springfield

2/25: BHM Mass at the Church of the Little Flower at 10am CT.

St. Augustine

2/1-3: Flight to Freedom festival at Fort Mose Historic State Park.
2/10-19: Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Series at Fort Mose Historic State Park.

St. Louis

BHM prayer service at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Motherhouse at 2pm CT. Reception to follow. Registration required.

Toledo

2/25: “We Come This Far by Faith” concert at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra at 5pm ET.l

Washington

2/1: “The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church” lecture at the Catholic University of America’s O’Connell Hall with Rachel L. Swarns at 6pm ET.
2/3: BHM Mass at St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. at 4pm ET.
2/3: Film screening of “A Place at the Table: African Americans on the Path to Sainthood” at St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Church at 10am ET.
2/4: “Tolton: From Slave to Priest” performance at St. Mary of the Mills Catholic Church’s Keesler Center in Laurel, Maryland, at 7pm ET.
2/8: Gospel Mass for the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita at the Catholic University of America's St. Vincent de Paul Chapel with Fr Urey Mark at 5:10pm ET.
2/9: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” concert at Holy Trinity Catholic Church with the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Vocal Department and Dr. Patrick Lundy at 7pm ET.
2/17: “Praying Without Ceasing: Something Good is About to Happen” prayer breakfast at St. Thomas More Catholic Church with Sr Rita Michelle Proctor, OSP at 9am ET. Tickets required.

Wichita

2/8: MLK Jr. Distinguished Service Award ceremony at Newman University’s Dugan Conference Center at 4pm CT.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.