St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church
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 closure in
1969 due to integration. The school's alumni
include U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Clarence Thomas. The sisters also staffed
the orphange 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.
Marker is on East Broad Street near East Gordon Lane, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
