St. Francis Xavier Church (Baltimore) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Francis Xavier Church
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Location	1501 E. Oliver Street, Baltimore, Maryland
Country	United States
Denomination	Catholic
Religious institute	Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart
Website	St. Francis Xavier Church
History
Founded	1863 (1863)
Founder(s)	Black San Domingo refugees and the Sulpician Fathers
Dedication	Francis Xavier
Dedicated	February 21, 1864 (1864-02-21)
Consecrated	()
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	For African-American Catholics
Architectural type	Church
Groundbreaking	()
Completed	()

St. Francis Xavier Church in Baltimore, Maryland, is a very old and important church for Black Catholics. Many people believe it was the first church in America created just for Black people. It officially started in 1863, but its roots go back even further to the late 1700s.

History of St. Francis Xavier Church

Early Beginnings in Baltimore

The story of St. Francis Xavier Church began on July 11, 1791. On this day, six ships arrived in Fell's Point, Baltimore. They carried many Black Catholic refugees from Cape Francois in the French colony of San Domingo (now Haiti).

Between 500 and 1,000 Black refugees came to Baltimore. Some were enslaved, and some were free. At the same time, the Sulpician Fathers had also come to America. They were refugees from the French Revolution in 1790.

The Sulpician Fathers were connected to St. Mary's Seminary. The Haitian refugees, who spoke French like the Sulpicians, began to meet in the seminary's basements.

Many of the free Black refugees were educated and wealthy. Because of this, the church quickly became popular with the leading African-American families in Baltimore.

In 1828, a priest named Father James Nicholas Joubert worked with Mother Lange. Together, they started the Oblate Sisters of Providence. This was the first group of Catholic nuns made up entirely of Black women. They also founded St. Frances Academy, which was the first and oldest Black Catholic school in the United States. When the Oblate Sisters moved in 1836, the church community moved with them.

Moving to a New Location

In the 1850s, a group of Jesuit priests invited the church community to meet at St. Ignatius Church. Here, the group met in a basement chapel. They called themselves Blessed Peter Claver at this time.

Two important people were involved then: Father Peter Louis Miller, SJ, and retired Bishop Michael O'Connor. They both worked with William Augustine Williams, who was the country's first Black seminarian (a student studying to become a priest). They helped serve the Black community at St. Ignatius/Peter Claver.

Becoming an Independent Parish

In 1863, the Jesuits helped the community buy its own building. The next year, this building was officially named St. Francis Xavier Church.

In 1871, the Mill Hill Fathers came from England. The local bishop asked them to help serve African-Americans. The Mill Hill Fathers took charge of the parish that same year.

Within a few decades, the Mill Hill operations in the U.S. became a new religious group called the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Josephites. The Josephites still lead the parish today.

The church moved to a new location in 1932. Then, in 1968, it moved again to its current spot at the corner of Caroline and Oliver streets. The Oblate Sisters' school and convent are still nearby. Today, the school teaches both boys and girls.

Changes in Worship Style

During the Black Catholic Movement from the late 1960s to the 1990s, St. Francis Xavier Church became a leader. It was the first church to allow and practice "shouting." This is a special kind of liturgical dance used in Black Christian worship. Black Catholics adopted this practice from Black Protestantism.

See also

• Josephite Fathers
• Society of Saint-Sulpice