Black Catholic History

The Scillitan Martyrs
The Scillitan Martyrs were the first documented African martyrs. The 12 Christians, seven men and five women, were martyred in 180 in Scillium (in what is present-day Algeria and Tunisia)… Read More
St. Athanasius
St. Athanasius, the great champion of the faith and Doctor of the Church, was born in Alexandria about the year 296, to Christian parents. Educated under the eye of Alexander,… Read More
St. Mary of Egypt
April 1 is the feast of a little-known saint whose story demonstrates the power of the Church as the home of forgiveness, redemption, and mercy. St. Mary of Egypt was… Read More
St. Moses, the Black
Saint Moses, the Black, was a desert monk, born around 330. He was an Ethiopian of great physical strength and unruly character. Moses was a big man and his enormous… Read More
The Ethiopian Eunuch
Did you know one of the first foreigners mentioned in the Bible to be baptized was an African? In the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 8:26-40, we read the account… Read More
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Origen
Did you know that one of the greatest Bible scholars, Origen, was from ancient Egypt? He was born in 185 AD. Early in his career, Origen became head of the… Read More
Toussaint L’Ouverture
Did you know that a black Haitian Catholic, Toussaint L’Ouverture played a key role in the first successful attempt by a slave population in the Americas and the world to… Read More
St. Anthony of Alexandria
Did you know that a black African Catholic, Saint Anthony of Alexandria, is known as the patriarch of monks? He was born at Aama, a village of Memphis, near Thebes.… Read More
Saint Charles Lwanga
Did you know Catholics from Africa led the way in being witnesses for Christ in the face of grave persecutions? Saint Charles Lwanga was one of the 22 Ugandan martyrs… Read More
Augustus Tolton
Did you know Augustus Tolton, was the first publicly known black Roman Catholic priest in the United States (1886)? A former slave who was baptized and reared Catholic, Tolton studied… Read More