Where to find a Catholic Black History Month event (2026 edition)

Fresh off of MLK Day celebrations in dioceses around the country, Black History Month is now upon us, bringing even more celebrations. We have compiled here a list of such events affiliated with Catholic institutions and individuals throughout the nation in the coming days and weeks.

(This list may not be exhaustive. Please contact your local diocese, Black Catholic office, or a Black parish in your area for more info. We will also be updating this page and the BCM calendar as more events are announced.)

National

2/1: National Day of Prayer for the African-American and African Family
2/1: Birthday of Langston Hughes, preeminent Black poet and longtime Mass-goer.
2/3: Feast of Venerable Mary Lange, founder of the nation’s first order of Black women religious (the Oblate Sisters of Providence).
2/5 (virtual): “Black and Catholic” author talk with Dr. Tia Noelle Pratt.
2/8: Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, the first Black woman canonized in the modern era.
2/9 (virtual): “Taking Courage through Prayer, Study, and Action” webinar on Servant of God Thea Bowman with Pax Christi USA and Michael Howard.
2/11: Birthday of Mother Mary Theodore Williams, FHM, founder of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary.
2/12: Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament founder's day, honoring St. Katharine Drexel’s first vows in the order.
2/13: Anniversary of the death of Samuel “St. Peter's Sam” Henderson, formerly enslaved man who served the sick in Memphis during the devastating Yellow Fever epidemic of 1878.
2/16-3/23 (virtual): Lenten Journey with the Psalms hosted by Eat the Scroll Ministries with Michael Howard, Rawn Harbor, and ValLimar Jansen. Suggested donation $50.
2/27: Birthday of Fr Patrick Healy, SJ, one of the earliest Black priests in America and the “second founder” of Georgetown University.

Albany

2/10: MLK and Coretta Scott King Lecture Series at Siena College’s Sarazen Student Union Maloney Great Room. with Dr. Stella Safo.

Baltimore

2/21: BHM retreat day at Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center in Marriottsville with Renee Harrison.

Boston

2/2-24: BHM events at Boston College.
2/10: “Hidden in Plain Sight” documentary short screening at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center in Braintree. Panel and lunch to follow.
2/22: “Hidden in Plain Sight” documentary short screening at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church in Chestnut Hill. Panel to follow.

Brooklyn

2/1: BHM Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in South Ozone Park with Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Narh Asare of Accra.

Charleston

2/13: Black Catholic Heritage Celebration at St. Patrick Catholic Church’s pastoral center with various events, including Mass celebrated by Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS.

Chicago

2/1: BHM Mass at St. Sabina Catholic Church.
2/8: BHM concert and lecture at Loyola University Chicago’s Madonna della Strada Chapel with Ignatian Voices, Schola, University Chorale, and University Singers, and Dr. Marques L.A. Garrett.
2/13: African-American Speaking Series at St. Sabina Catholic Church with Joy Reid.
2/20: African American Heritage Prayer Service at Holy Name Cathedral with local students and Fr Steven Bell, CSP.
2/22: Mass for the unveiling of the bust of Pope Leo XIV at Catholic Theological Union with Frs John Lydon, OSA and Enzo Del Brocco, CP.
2/25 (hybrid): Tolton Lecture at Catholic Theological Union with Dr. Ansel Augustine.
2/28: Harambee celebration at Catholic Theological Union with honorees Christine A. Riley, Cheryl Cattledge, and Parris D. Washington.

Cincinnati

2/1: BHM Mass at the University of Dayton’s Chapel of the Immaculate Conception with Rita Winters, homilist Dcn Royce Winters, and Fr Francis Tandoh, CSSp.
2/27-3/1: Antonio Johnson Legacy Weekend with Xavier University's Black Students Association.

Cleveland

2/7: “Thea Bowman: Embracing the Diversity of the Catholic Church” event at St. Dominic Catholic School in Shaker Heights

Detroit

2/2-28: BHM events at the University of Detroit Mercy.
2/4: BHM Mass at Detroit Cristo Rey High School Commons with Fr David Buersmeyer and Jesse Cox of Madonna University.
2/28: “Songs of Freedom: A Black History Month Musical Celebration” at Cass Technical High School with Dr. William S. Harrison Sr.

Fall River

2/1: BHM Mass at Stonehill College’s Chapel of Mary in Easton.

Galveston-Houston

2/21: Catholic Youth of African Descent Day at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

Harrisburg

2/1: BHM Mass at the Cathedral of St. Patrick with Bishop Timothy Senior, homilist Fr Chiedozie Ononuju, and the Philadelphia Gospel Mass Choir.

Jackson

2/9: Mass and closing ceremony for the diocesan phase for the sainthood cause of Servant of God Thea Bowman at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle with Bishop Joseph Kopacz.

Los Angeles

2/1: “Dem Bones Gonna Rise Again: African American Faith, Song & Activism” event at Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach with Dr. Kim R. Harris of Loyola Marymount University.
2/1: BHM Mass at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Hollywood.
2/8: Rosary against Human Trafficking for the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach.
2/9: “Slavery and the Declaration” panel at Loyola Marymount University’s William H. Hannon Library with Drs. Cheryl Grills, Chaya Crowder, and Marne Campbell.
2/21: BHM Mass and Keeper of the Flame Awards at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels with Archbishop Jose Gomez and the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization.

Louisville

2/23: 2/25: Thomas Merton Lecture at Bellarmine University with Dr. Carolyn Medine at 7pm ET.

Metuchen

2/21: BHM Mass at St. Matthias Catholic Church in Somerset with Fr Patrick Winbush, OSB. Reception to follow.

Milwaukee

2/3-26: BHM events at Marquette University.
2/8: BHM Mass at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church with Fr Glenn Powers. Breakfast to follow.
2/28: BHM concert at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church with the All Saints Catholic Church Gospel Choir.

Mobile

2/1: BHM Mass at St. James Major Catholic Church in Prichard.

New Orleans

2/6: BHM Alumnae Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor with Ursuline Academy. Reception to follow.
2/24: Dr. Rudy Lombard '61 Legacy Symposium at Xavier University of Louisiana with the Hon. Edward A. Lombard.
2/28: BHM Mass at St. Louis Cathedral with Fr Tony Ricard and the Archdiocesan Gospel Mass Choir.

New York

2/1-22: BHM events at various churches in the archdiocese.
2/22: BHM Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in the Bronx with the St. Martin de Porres Society, the Caribbean Choir of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, and Fr Daniel Kingsley.

Newark

2/1-28: BHM events at Seton Hall University in South Orange.
2/15: BHM Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart with Cardinal Joseph Tobin and homilist Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle of Cape Coast.

Oakland

2/1-15: BHM Masses with Frs Sidney Speaks and Kwame Assenyoh.
2/1-22: BHM Masses at St. Benedict Catholic Church.

Paterson

2/3: BHM Rosary at St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Church’s Our Lady’s Chapel in Chester.

Philadelphia

2/21: A Day of Reflection for Healing Racism at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli with Sr Cora Marie Billings, RSM. $40 registration includes lunch. Scholarships available.
2/28: “Walking With Jesus in the Wilderness” Lenten retreat at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church with Meco Hood, Dr. Claudine Noel, and Fr Joseph Ita-Sam, CM. $10 registration.

Providence

2/4: “Say It Loud: Honoring Seven Decades of the Saint Martin de Porres Center” musical event at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

Raleigh

2/7: BHM jazz concert at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Parish Center with the Dessaline Ford Trio and special guests Corey Leak and saxophonist Byron Lampkins.

Richmond

2/27: BHM prayer service at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.

Rochester

2/2, 9, 23 (virtual): Book study on “Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood” with St. Monica Catholic Church.

Rockville Centre

2/28: BHM celebration at Maria Regina Residence’s Joan de Lourdes Room with St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church Choir, the SBSBM Liturgical Praise Dancers, and others.

San Jose

2/1: BHM Mass at St. Francis Cabrini Catholic School with Bishop Oscar Cantú.

Springfield in Illinois

2/28: BHM Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church with the Archdiocesan Gospel Mass Choir and the Black Catholic Commission.

St. Augustine

2/5: BHM lecture at Anastasia Island Branch Public Library with David Nolan.
2/6-15: Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Series at Fort Mose Historic State Park with Ledisi, StellaSoul, Robert Cray Band and Ruthie Foster, Gary Clark Jr., Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble with the Gilmore Quandary, and Samara Joy with the Hannah Stokes Band.
2/26-28: Fort Mose Flight to Freedom tours and reenactments at Fort Mose Historic State Park.

Toledo

2/8: BHM Mass at Regina Coeli Catholic Church with homilist Dcn Royce Winters.
2/22: BHM concert and St. Katharine Drexel Awards at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church with the Clarence Smith Community Chorus and Maestro Antoine Clark. Tickets $35-45.

Tyler

2/14: BHM Mass at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center with Bishop Gregory Kelly. Soul food lunch to follow.

Washington

2/4: Mass for Solidarity with the Bishops and Faithful of Africa in the Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Maronite Eparch A. Elias Zaidan of Los Angeles, and homilist Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of Yola.
2/7: Vigil Mass for the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Landover Hills, Maryland, with Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala.
2/8: BHM celebration honoring the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary at Center City Public Charter School with Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Catholic Church.
2/9 (hybrid): “Blessed Assurance: This is Our Story” documentary screening and panel at St. John Paul II National Shrine with Dr. Ansel Augustine, Cynthia Morris, Frs Henry Sands and Pat Smith, and James Conway.
2/11: “A Call to Action: Ministering to the Margins with Dr. Ansel Augustine” event at Catholic University of America’s Pryzbyla Center with Dr. Ansel Augustine and Veryl Miles.
2/12: Documentary screening at Trinity Washington University’s Payden Academic Center 101.
2/19: “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect” documentary screening at Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law Rm 208.
2/21: BHM Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Largo, Maryland, with Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr.
2/26: “Honoring the Legacy: A Century of Black Leadership in Law and Public Service” panel at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law’s Slowinski Courtroom.
2/26: Building Bridges Dinner at the Catholic University America’s Caldwell Hall with Dr. Victor McCrary.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.