Sarah Mitchell
Black Catholicism or African-American Catholicism refers to the African-American people, beliefs, and practices in the Catholic Church. There are approximately three million Black Catholics in the United States, making up 6% of the total African-American population and 4% of American Catholics. Black Catholics have a long history in the United States, dating back to the period of Spanish and French colonization, when African Catholic slaves were brought to the colonies in North America. Over time, Black Catholics have faced various challenges and played a significant role in the Black Power movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, with figures like Wilton Gregory, the first Black American cardinal, and Martin de Porres, the first Black American saint, emerging as influential leaders.
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What You'll Learn
Black Catholic Movement
The Black Catholic Movement emerged during the late 1960s and 1970s, alongside the Black Power and Black Pride movements. It was a period of "Black Catholic Revolution", as Black Catholics sought to express their right to be ""authentically Black"" in their Catholic faith. This movement was a response to the racism and prejudice experienced by Black Catholics within the Catholic Church, which was seen as complicit in white supremacy and racial segregation.
The roots of the movement can be traced back to the early 19th century, when Black Catholic religious sisters, such as Mary Elizabeth Lange and Henriette DeLille, began forming congregations to serve their communities. The first openly Black priest, Fr. Augustus Tolton, was ordained in 1886, and the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (the Josephites) began ordaining Black men in 1893. However, the number of Black priests remained small compared to their white counterparts, and many Black Catholics faced resistance and exclusion from white Catholic communities.
The Great Migrations of the 20th century, which saw the movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West, led to the formation of burgeoning Black Catholic communities in cities like Chicago and Detroit. This period also witnessed the rise of Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement, which inspired Black Catholics to demand change within the Church.
In 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Father Herman Porter convened the first meeting of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC) in Detroit. The opening statement of this meeting accused the Catholic Church in the United States of being a "white racist institution" and demanded control of Catholic institutions in Black communities. This was followed by the establishment of the National Black Sisters' Conference (NBSC) and the National Black Catholic Lay Caucus (NBCLC or NBLCC) in 1970, which worked to combat the marginalization of Blacks within the Church.
The Black Catholic Movement led to the integration of traditions from the larger Black Church into Black Catholic parishes, the emergence of Black bishops and archbishops, and the formation of Black Catholic ministries and organizations across the country. It fostered a more independent identity for Black Catholics within the Church, with terms like "Black Catholicism" and "the Black Catholic Church" becoming commonplace.
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Black Catholic demographics
Black Catholics are a minority in the United States, comprising a small share of both Black adults (6%) and Catholic adults (4%). There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the US, making up 6% of the total population of African Americans, who are mostly Protestant. Black Catholics are a heavily immigrant population, with 68% being born in the United States, 12% born in Africa, 11% born in the Caribbean, and 5% born in other parts of Central or South America.
The Black Catholic population grew in the early and mid-20th century when Black Americans migrated from the rural South to cities across the country with large pre-existing Catholic populations and strong parochial school systems. Immigration from Africa and the Caribbean has further boosted the Black Catholic population in recent years. The Black Catholic Movement during the larger Black Power zeitgeist of the late 1960s and 1970s also played a significant role in the growth of Black Catholicism. This period, also known as the "Black Catholic Revolution" or "Black Catholic Revolt", saw the emergence of Black Catholic studies, Gospel Mass, and a more independent identity within the Catholic Church.
Most Black Catholic churchgoers are racial minorities in their congregations, unlike White and Hispanic Catholics. About 76% of African American Catholics attend predominantly white parishes, while only 25% of Black Catholics who attend Mass regularly worship where most attendees share their race. This is in stark contrast to White Catholic churchgoers, 80% of whom attend Mass where most attendees are White, and Hispanic Catholic churchgoers, 67% of whom attend services where most attendees share their ethnicity.
Black Catholics express some distinctive preferences and expectations about their congregations. For example, they are more likely than White or Hispanic Catholics to say they think it is essential that churches offer a sense of racial affirmation. Additionally, Black Catholics are about as likely as other Catholics to attend Mass at least once a week, with roughly a quarter of Black and Hispanic Catholics reporting weekly attendance, compared to 31% of White Catholics.
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Black Catholic history
Black Catholicism, or African-American Catholicism, refers to the African-American people, beliefs, and practices in the Catholic Church. There are around three million Black Catholics in the United States, making up 6% of the total African-American population and 4% of American Catholics. Black Catholics are a heavily immigrant population, with 68% born in the US, 12% in Africa, 11% in the Caribbean, and 5% in Central or South America.
The history of Black Catholics in the US is as old as the history of Catholics in the country. The first African Catholic slaves arrived during the period of Spanish colonisation in the 16th century. For example, an African Catholic named Esteban, enslaved by Spaniards, was among the first European groups to enter what would become Florida in 1528. He later served on various North American expeditions. In the mid-16th century, African Catholics, both enslaved and free, were among the Spanish settlers who established the Mission Nombre de Dios in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The Spanish offered freedom to slaves who reached their territory and converted to Catholicism. The French also brought African Catholic slaves to their colonies in North America, particularly in Louisiana, specifically New Orleans.
In the 19th century, one of the founding members of the Oblate Sisters, Theresa Maxis Duchemin, helped found a predominantly white order of sisters in Michigan, the IHM congregation. She was the first US-born Black Catholic religious sister. In 1857, a French Catholic priest, Claude Paschal Maistre, obtained faculties from the Archbishop of New Orleans, Antoine Blanc, to pastor an interracial Francophone parish, St Rose of Lima.
In the 20th century, the Black Catholic population grew as Black Americans migrated from the rural South to cities with large pre-existing Catholic populations and strong parochial school systems. During the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, innovators like Clarence Rivers began integrating Negro spirituals into Mass settings, leading to the Black Catholic Movement or "Black Catholic Revolution". This period saw the emergence of Black Catholic studies, Gospel Mass, and a reclamation of Black Christian spirituality. The movement culminated in 1984 when ten Black bishops declared that the Black Catholic community in the US had "come of age".
In more recent years, immigration from Africa and the Caribbean has further boosted the Black Catholic population. In 2020, Wilton Gregory became the first Black American cardinal.
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Black Catholic worship
Black Catholicism or African-American Catholicism refers to the African-American people, beliefs, and practices in the Catholic Church. There are around three million Black Catholics in the United States, constituting 6% of the total African-American population and 4% of American Catholics. Black Catholics are a heavily immigrant population, with 68% born in the US, 12% in Africa, 11% in the Caribbean, and 5% in other parts of Central or South America.
The history of Black Catholics in the US dates back to the period of Spanish colonisation in the 16th century, with the arrival of the first African Catholic slaves. During the 19th century, when Black Americans faced restrictions on where they could worship, several historically Black Catholic parishes were established. Notable examples include St. Augustine Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., founded in 1858, and St. Francis Xavier Church, established in 1863 with the help of Jesuits.
The Black Catholic Movement emerged during the Black Power movement in the late 1960s and 1970s, leading to the integration of Negro spirituals into Mass settings and the development of Black Catholic theology. This period witnessed the emergence of Black Catholic studies, the adoption of Gospel Mass, and the assertion of Black Christian spirituality within the Catholic Church.
In terms of worship, Black Catholics exhibit unique practices and experiences. They are more likely to attend services where people call out "amen" and express praise, and they engage in charismatic styles of worship, including speaking in tongues and spontaneous dancing. Black Catholics also demonstrate a strong sense of community and social justice, emphasising the importance of racial affirmation and practical support within their congregations.
While only about 25% of Black Catholics worship in predominantly Black parishes, there are numerous parishes across the US with a strong Black Catholic presence. These include churches like St. Sabina Catholic Church in Chicago, St. Augustine Catholic Church in New Orleans, and various parishes in states such as Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, and Massachusetts.
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Black Catholic parishes
There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the United States, comprising 6% of the total population of African Americans and 4% of American Catholics. Black Catholics are a heavily immigrant population, with 68% born in the United States, 12% in Africa, 11% in the Caribbean, and 5% in Central or South America.
Black Catholicism or African-American Catholicism encompasses the people, beliefs, and practices of African Americans within the Catholic Church. Black Catholics have a distinct history in the United States, dating back to the period of Spanish and French colonisation, when African Catholics were among the first European groups to arrive in North America. During the transatlantic slave trade, African slaves brought to American colonies by various colonial powers introduced Catholicism to the colonies, with communities forming in Florida, Louisiana, and New Orleans.
In the 19th century, segregation and racial discrimination within the Church led to the establishment of separate Black parishes. For example, in 1858, a group of free Black Catholics in Washington, D.C., founded St. Augustine Catholic Church, the first Black Catholic parish in the city. During the Jim Crow era, more historically Black parishes were established as a result of racial segregation, and others were established in predominantly Black communities.
In the 1950s, innovators like Clarence Rivers began incorporating Negro spirituals into Mass settings, sparking the Black Catholic Movement during the Black Power movement of the late 1960s and 1970s. This period witnessed a newfound Black Consciousness among Black clergy and laypeople, leading to the emergence of Black Catholic studies, the inclusion of Gospel Mass, and a more independent identity within the larger American Church.
Today, Black Catholics in the United States have diverse preferences for their congregations. While about a quarter worship in historically Black parishes, many others attend predominantly white or multicultural parishes. There are approximately 800 predominantly African American Catholic parishes out of nearly 21,000 parishes in the country. Examples of Black Catholic parishes include:
- Our Lady of Africa, Chicago, IL
- St. Benedict the African, Chicago, IL
- St. Augustine Church, South Bend, IN
- St. Benedict Catholic Church, Oakland, CA
- St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, New Haven, CT
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Frequently asked questions
There are approximately 3 million African American Catholics in the USA.
Black Catholics make up 6% of the total population of African Americans, who are mostly Protestant.
Black Catholics make up 4% of American Catholics.
According to the Pew Research Center, around 5% of non-Hispanic African Americans are Catholics.
The first African Catholic slaves arrived in what would become the USA during the period of Spanish colonisation in the 16th century. In 1693, Spain offered freedom in Florida to slaves who converted to Catholicism. The first significant growth in the African American Catholic population occurred during the Great Migrations of the early to mid-20th century, when African Americans moved from the rural South to cities with large pre-existing Catholic populations. This period also saw the Black Catholic Movement, which inspired liturgical innovation and challenged the Catholic Church's racial dynamics. The history of African American Catholics in the USA also includes notable figures such as Pierre Toussaint and Henriette Delille and Juliette Gaudin.
