St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church ~ Mother Church of Black Catholics in Georgia
Mother Church of Black Catholics in Georgia
In May 1874 two Benedictine priests arrived in Savannah to work with the city´s African-American community, and constructed a church four blocks north of here. In 1889 a new building was constructed at this site. The Society of African Missions staffed the parish from 1907 to 1968. Staffed by Franciscan Sisters, St. Benedict´s day school operated from 1907 until its closure in 1969 due to integration. The school´s alumni include U. S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The sisters also staffed the orphanage established by Mother Matilda Beasley, the first African-American woman in Georgia to belong to a religious order. The current building was constructed in 1949.
2008.3 and Sam´s Club and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. 25-30
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.