During this African American Heritage Month, we look to the fact that the presence of Catholics of African descent in the United States can be traced back to as early as 1565 in the settlement that is now known as St. Augustine, FL. The history of black Catholics in the U.S. is well documented but not widely known.

Currently, there are six African Americans on the formal path to sainthood: Pierre Toussaint, Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, Henriette Delille, Father Augustus Tolton, Julia Greeley, and Sister Thea Bowman. These men and women witnessed their faith through their charity toward others and their love of God amidst suffering.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has taken steps to foster a greater awareness of these six lives centered around Christ.

To learn more about each of these holy and faithful servants, visit https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs/road-sainthood-leaders-african-descent.

The Subcommittee on African American Affairs for the USCCB hopes that pastors, parish teams, diocesan leaders, youth and all the faithful recognize the contributions of African American Catholics as they strive to evangelize, deepen spiritual roots, increase vocations, and offer gifts for the entire Church.