Do you know who was the first Black Catholic priest ordained in the United States, or when the first Black Catholic Congress was held?
Here at the Basilica, we’re proud to honor the lives of Black Catholics in America – from the “hairdresser for Christ” to the founder of the first religious order for African American women. In the face of prejudice and hardship, these heroes of the faith responded in compassion and love, tirelessly working to support education, ministry, and religious life.
As we observe Black History Month, we invite you to test your knowledge about the history of Black Catholics in America – take the quiz below!
Sources:
“Augustus Tolton,” Britannica.
“Baltimore’s Charles Randolph Uncles,” American Antiquarian Society.
Butler’s Lives of Saints, ed. Bernard Bangley
“Demographics,” USCCB.
“Father Charles Randolph Uncles, SSJ,” Stephanie A.T. Jacobe, Ph.D., Catholic Standard.
“History,” Oblate Sisters of Providence.
“National Black Catholic Congress,” Diocese of Austin.
“Sister Thea Bowman’s sainthood moving forward to Vatican review,” Catholic Standard.
“Thea Bowman,” Britannica.
“Timeline of Black Catholic History,” St. Columba Catholic Church.
“Venerable Augustus Tolton,” Knights of Peter Claver.
“Venerable Augustus Tolton,” University of Notre Dame.
Additional images accessed at Wikimedia Commons and the Wisconsin Life website.
