Larry Payne, Houston activist and churchman, dead at 73
Payne first envisioned the creation of the National Black Catholic Congress and was the first lay or Black vicar in the U.S. Catholic Church.
History
Baltimore group meets with Vatican officials to urge canonization of U.S. Black Catholics
The activists have long called for an exception to the notably unwieldy canonization process—which has yet to produce a single Black American saint.
'Frei Martinho', Brazil's Black American saint-to-be, feted during bishop's visit
Fr Martin Maria de Porres Ward, a Boston-born Conventual Franciscan who served in Brazil, has been under consideration for sainthood since 2020.
Matthew 25:14-30: Remembering the 'Magnificent Seven'
Deacon Tim Tilghman applies the Sunday Gospel reading to the stories of the first Black men to serve as Catholic priests in the United States.
Dr. Shannen Dee Williams wins Wesley-Logan Prize for book on Black nuns
Williams also won the 2022 Letitia Woods Brown Award for Best Book in African American Women's History from the Association of Black Women Historians.
Young adult Catholics sought for 2024 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
Each of the four regional routes leading to the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress will feature stops related to Black Catholic history.
Black Catholic couple honored for work on Underground Railroad
After gaining freedom in Louisville, Kentucky, James Madison and Catherine “Kitty” Smith harbored Black fugitives on their farm in Southern Indiana.
'This is a journey': Catholic archivists talk slavery at inaugural conference
The Catholic Religious Organizations Studying Slavery org gathered in St. Louis for a two-day affair, seeking ways forward and sharing best practices.
Where to find a Black Catholic History Month event (2023 edition)
Looking for an in-person or virtual event celebrating Black Catholic History Month this November? We have you covered.
'An epoch-making time': Centennial Mass for first Black Catholic seminary draws thousands to Bay St. Louis
A celebratory weekend at St. Augustine Seminary culminated in a once-in-a-lifetime liturgy attended by beaucoup bishops and Black Catholics alike.
Holy Rosary & St. John to celebrate 125 years in Columbus as closure looms
The historic Black Catholic parish has been slated for closure since May, though the bishop—who has faced mounting controversy—has yet to issue an official decree.
Review: 'Finding Us' doc gives Jesuit slavery descendants a new kind of voice
Still in the festival circuit, the 2022 film does well in centering survivors and their quest to reunite their family, says Nate Tinner-Williams
Detroit's St. Cecilia Gym, former NBA haunt, gets $25k for renovation project
The historic Black Catholic facility once hosted future NBA stars, and others at the height of their careers when it became a popular summer training ground.
St. Augustine's, first all-Black Catholic seminary in U.S., to celebrate centennial
The Mississippi school educated many of the nation's first Black Catholic priests, including several who would go on to become bishops.
Malcolm X: a master evangelist ‘by any means necessary’
Dcn Tim Tilghman extols the virtues of Malcolm X, a legendary activist who modeled his life's work on the Biblical saints.
Rebuild of Fort Mose, nation's first Black town, gets $200k in new funding
A groundbreaking for the replica of the nation's first free Black settlement—a Catholic outpost—has been scheduled for January 2024.