A Living Directory of Historically Black and Black-Led Catholic Parishes

Black Catholic churches are more than places of worship. They are sacred spaces where faith, culture, history, and resilience meet. From the Gulf Coast to the Midwest to the Northeast, these parishes have nurtured generations of Black Catholics through worship, community leadership, education, and social justice.

This directory is a growing resource for travelers, families relocating, Catholic-curious visitors, and lifelong parishioners seeking connection within historically Black Catholic communities.

If you do not see a parish listed, please submit it below. This is a living directory.

Southern Region

Deep roots in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Home to some of the oldest Black Catholic parishes in America.

  • St. Augustine – New Orleans

  • St. Peter Claver – New Orleans

  • Our Lady Star of the Sea – New Orleans

  • St. Raymond & St. Leo the Great – New Orleans

  • Immaculate Heart of Mary – Lafayette

  • St. Genevieve – Lafayette

  • St. Francis Xavier – Baton Rouge

  • St. Paul the Apostle – Baton Rouge

  • Our Lady of Peace – Vacherie

  • St. Mary of the Purification – Houston

  • St. Francis of Assisi – Houston

  • Our Mother of Mercy – Houston

  • Holy Cross – Dallas

  • St. Anthony – Bryan

  • St. Joseph – Mound Bayou, MS

  • Holy Family – Birmingham, AL

  • St. Paul – Birmingham, AL

  • St. Peter Claver – Macon, GA

  • Our Lady of Lourdes – Atlanta, GA

  • Holy Redeemer – Miami, FL

  • St. Anthony – Miami, FL

Midwest Region

Migration-era growth, urban parish life, and multi-generational Catholic families.

  • St. Monica – Kansas City

  • St. Therese Little Flower – St. Louis

  • St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church – St. Louis

  • St. Sabina – Chicago

  • Our Lady of Africa – Chicago

  • St. Agatha – Chicago

  • St. Charles Lwanga – Detroit

  • St. Augustine & St. Monica – Detroit

  • Presentation / Our Lady of Victory – Detroit

  • Corpus Christi – Detroit

  • Holy Spirit – Cleveland

  • St. Adalbert / Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament – Cleveland

  • St. Benedict the Moor – Columbus

Historic parishes shaped by early Black Catholic communities and civil rights era leadership.

Northeast Region

  • St. Martin de Porres Parish – Brooklyn

  • St. Charles Borromeo & Our Lady of Lourdes – Harlem

  • St. Cyprian – Philadelphia

  • St. Raymond of Penafort – Philadelphia

  • St. Benedict the Moor – Pittsburgh

  • Christ the King – Jersey City

  • Blessed Sacrament–St. Charles Borromeo – Newark

  • St. Augustine – Washington, DC

  • Holy Comforter–St. Cyprian – Washington, DC

  • St. Peter Claver – Baltimore

  • St. Cecilia – Baltimore

Migration west, growing diversity, and vibrant liturgical expression.

West Coast Region

  • St. Odilia – Los Angeles

  • St. Albert the Great – Compton

  • St. Columba – Oakland

  • Sacred Heart – San Francisco

St. James the Apostle – Las Vegas

What Makes a Parish Historically Black?

Historically Black Catholic parishes were often founded to serve Black Catholics during segregation or grew into majority Black congregations due to migration patterns and community development.

Many are known for:

  • Gospel and traditional liturgical music rooted in Black sacred expression

  • Strong community outreach and justice ministries

  • Cultural celebrations such as Kwanzaa reflections, Juneteenth liturgies, and heritage observances

  • Generational family membership and deep neighborhood ties

Black Catholic identity is not confined to geography. It is lived through worship, witness, and community.