Joshua Bennett
Black Catholics are a minority within a minority in the United States. They make up 6% of the total population of African Americans, who are mostly Protestant, and 4% of American Catholics. There are around 3 million Black Catholics in the US, with 5 living Black bishops, 250 Black priests, 437 Black deacons, and 75 Black men in seminary formation for the priesthood. The Black Catholic population is older than Hispanic Catholics but younger than White Catholics, with about half of Black Catholic adults under 50 years old. They are also more likely than other Catholics to rely heavily on prayer for guidance in major life decisions and to believe that the Bible should be taken literally. The history of Black Catholics in America is marked by segregation, racial discrimination, and the struggle for acceptance within the Church and wider society.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of Black Catholics in the US | 3 million |
| % of total population of African Americans | 6% |
| % of American Catholics | 4% |
| % of Black Catholics who are converts | 16% |
| % of Black Catholics who were raised Catholic and still identify as Catholic | 54% |
| % of Black Catholics who rely "a lot" on prayer for guidance in major life decisions | 48% |
| % of Black Catholics who read scripture outside of religious services at least once a week | 30% |
| % of Black Catholics who believe the Bible should be taken literally | 28% |
| Number of Black Bishops in the US | 5 |
| Number of US dioceses headed by Black Bishops | 2 |
| Number of Black Priests in the US | 250 |
| Number of Black Deacons in the US | 437 |
| Number of Black men in seminary formation for the priesthood in the US | 75 |
| Number of Black Catholic parishes in the US | 798-800 |
| Number of Black religious sisters in the US | 400 |
| Number of Black religious brothers in the US | 50 |
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What You'll Learn
- There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the US
- Black Catholics make up 6% of the total US African American population
- Black Catholics are more likely to rely on prayer for guidance
- Black Catholic immigrants: 12% from Africa, 11% Caribbean, 5% Central/South America
- Black Catholic organisations: National Black Sisters' Conference, National Black Catholic Congress
There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the US
Historically, Black Catholics in the US have faced racial discrimination and segregation within the Church. While French Catholicism in the US was notable for its degree of interracialism, British America showed harsher social strictures and racial discrimination. The legacy of slavery and the overrepresentation of Protestants as slaveowners also contributed to the relatively small number of Black Catholics in the US. During the Jim Crow era, many predominantly Black parishes were established as a result of racial segregation.
In recent years, Black Catholic organizations have emerged to advocate for racial equality and social justice. The National Office for Black Catholics, established in 1970, has worked to challenge assumptions about the "right" way to be Catholic and push back against the Church's complicity in white supremacy. The Black Catholic Movement has also contributed to liturgical innovation, new preaching styles, and activist scholarship.
Today, there are 250 Black Catholic priests, 437 deacons, and 75 men of African descent in seminary formation for the priesthood in the US. There are also 5 living African American bishops, two of whom head US dioceses. In 2020, Wilton Gregory became the first Black American cardinal, bringing media attention to the Black Catholic community.
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Black Catholics make up 6% of the total US African American population
Historically, Black Catholics in America have faced segregation and racial discrimination within the Church. The Black Catholic Movement reinvigorated the Church with liturgical innovation, new preaching styles, and activist scholarship, challenging the assumption that "white ways" of being Catholic were the only right ways. The National Office for Black Catholics, established in 1970, and the National Black Sisters' Conference are examples of Black Catholic organizations that have advocated for racial equality and social justice.
Demographically, Black Catholics tend to be older than Hispanic Catholics but younger than White Catholics. About half of Black Catholic adults are under 50 years old, and the largest regional population of Black Catholics is in the South, comprising 45% of the total Black Catholic population in the US.
There are approximately 800 Black Catholic parishes across the country, with a rich history of Black saints and leaders, including the first Black American cardinal, Wilton Gregory, appointed in 2020.
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Black Catholics are more likely to rely on prayer for guidance
Black Catholics make up a small share of both Black adults (6%) and Catholic adults (4%) in the United States. There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the US, constituting about 4% of all Catholic adults. Despite their small numbers, Black Catholics have been present in the United States for centuries, with large African-American Catholic populations in cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Black Catholics are more likely than other Catholics to rely heavily on prayer for guidance in major life decisions. Nearly half of Black Catholics (48%) turn to prayer for direction, compared to around a third of White Catholics (32%) and four-in-ten Hispanic Catholics (37%). They are also more likely to read scripture outside of religious services, with 30% of Black Catholics engaging in this practice at least once a week, compared to 16% of White Catholics and 18% of Hispanic Catholics.
The religious experience of Black Catholics differs from that of White and Hispanic Catholics in several ways. Black Catholics are less likely to worship in parishes where most people share their race or ethnicity. Only about a quarter of Black Catholics who attend Mass regularly worship in predominantly Black churches, in contrast to 80% of White Catholics and 67% of Hispanic Catholics who attend churches where most attendees share their race. Black Catholics are also more likely than other Catholics to seek a sense of racial affirmation from their churches and to prioritize opposing racism and sexism as essential to their Christian faith.
Black Catholics tend to be more religious than White Catholics but less religious than Black Protestants. While 73% of Black Protestants pray daily, about 59% of Black Catholics do so, and while 73% of Black Protestants consider religion very important in their lives, about half of Black Catholics share this view. Additionally, Black Catholics are more likely than White Catholics to say that the Bible should be taken literally (28% vs. 12%).
In summary, Black Catholics comprise a small but significant part of the Catholic population in the United States. They stand out for their reliance on prayer and scripture for guidance and their unique religious experiences and perspectives within the Catholic Church.
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Black Catholic immigrants: 12% from Africa, 11% Caribbean, 5% Central/South America
Black Catholics are a minority in the United States, comprising a small share of Black adults (6%) and an even smaller share of Catholic adults (4%). There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the U.S., with around 250 non-immigrant Black Catholic priests. The Black Catholic population is heavily immigrant, with 68% being born in the United States, and 12% in sub-Saharan Africa, 11% in the Caribbean, and 5% in Central or South America.
The Black Catholic population has been boosted by immigration from Africa and the Caribbean in recent years. One-in-five Black immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa identify as Catholic, as do 15% of Black immigrants from the Caribbean. By comparison, only 5% of U.S.-born Black adults identify as Catholic. This may be due to the history of slavery and the Protestant religion's historical dominance over the Black religious landscape in the U.S.
The Black Catholic population is largely centred in major metro areas, with New York having the most Black Catholics, followed by Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta, New Orleans, Oakland, Baltimore, and the D.C. metro area.
The Black Catholic community has a rich history, with figures like Pierre Toussaint, a leader in New York City charities in the 1800s, and the Sisters of the Holy Family, the second religious order for Black women founded in New Orleans in 1842. The first Black Catholic lay congress in U.S. history was held in 1889, and the Black Catholic Movement emerged during the Black Power movement in the late 1960s and 1970s, integrating Negro spirituals into Mass settings.
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Black Catholic organisations: National Black Sisters' Conference, National Black Catholic Congress
According to the Pew Research Center, there are over 3 million Black Catholics in the United States, comprising 6% of Black adults and 4% of Catholic adults. There are also 250 African American priests, 437 deacons, and 75 men of African descent in seminary formation for the priesthood in the country.
Now, onto the Black Catholic organisations. The National Black Sisters Conference (NBSC) was founded in 1968 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under the direction of Sister Martin de Porres Grey, RSM (now Patricia Grey, Ph.D.). The National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC), on the other hand, is a Black Catholic advocacy group and conference that takes place every five years in the United States. It was founded in 1987 by the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators (NABCA), the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus (NBCCC), and the NBSC. The NBCC aims to improve and enrich the lives of African American Catholics and operates in coordination with the Black Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The organisation provides guidance to Black clergy on how to preach and minister to the African American community, and it also hosts webinars and publishes a quarterly newsletter with information impacting the Black Catholic community.
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Frequently asked questions
There are over 200 million people of African descent in the Roman Catholic Church worldwide, with over 173 million of them living on the African continent. However, it is unclear how many of them are men.
There are 75 men of African descent in seminary formation for the priesthood in the US. However, it is unclear how many Black Catholic men there are in total.
Black Catholics comprise a small share of Black adults (6%) in the US. There are approximately 3 million Black Catholics in the US, out of a total African American or Black population of just over 41 million people (12.9% of the total US population).
