Where to find a Catholic Juneteenth event (2025 edition)

The 160th anniversary of Juneteenth will be celebrated throughout the United States on June 19 as a federal holiday, giving Americans ample opportunity to honor the legacy—and eventual freedom—of enslaved African Americans.

The original Juneteenth celebrations were born from the 1865 decree, "General Order No. 3," issued in Galveston, Texas, where the last enslaved African Americans remained for some time after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. In that same city in 1528, an enslaved Black Catholic named Esteban had been one of the first Africans to set foot in what is now the United States.

Below can be found a variety of events celebrating Juneteenth this year in the Catholic tradition, those organized by Catholics, as well as those being held in a Catholic venue.

(This list is not exhaustive. All the included information is subject to change and should be confirmed with event organizers. Please contact your local diocese, Black Catholic office, or a Black parish in your area for any additional events in your area.)

National

• 6/14 (virtual): Juneteenth celebration with the GU272 Descendants Association at 10am ET. 
• 6/19 (virtual): “Already the Church: The Prophetic Witness of Queer Catholics and Catholics of Color” webinar with Teresa Thompson and FutureChurch at 7pm ET.
• 6/19 (virtual): Pax Christi USA Juneteenth Mass with Fr Warren Harvey at 8pm ET.

Canada

• 6/19: Juneteenth celebration at Westview Freedom Academy in Windsor, Ontario, with Assumption University at 7pm ET.

Arlington

• 6/14: Juneteenth celebration at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston at 12pm ET.

Austin

• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at St. Thomas More Catholic Church at 8:30am ET.

Baltimore

• 6/21: Juneteenth jubilee cookout at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church at 11am ET.

Baton Rouge

• 6/28: Juneteenth teach-in and seafood boil at Welcome Park in St. James with Rise St. James at 6pm CT.

Boston

• 6/19: Juneteenth parade with Jumaada Abdal-Khallaq Henry Smith at Dillaway-Thomas House at 12:30pm ET.

Brooklyn 

• 6/21: Juneteenth street festival and BBQ at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Brooklyn at 10am ET.

Camden

• 6/19: Juneteenth luncheon at Quaremba Hall in Atlantic City with ValLimar Jansen at 11am ET.

Charleston

• 6/22: Juneteenth celebration at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Greenville with guest speaker Pastor Curtis L. Johnson and the St. Anthony School Dancers at 4pm ET.

Chicago

• 6/15: Juneteenth Mass at St. Sabina Catholic Church with Marc Lamont Hill at 10am CT.

Cleveland

• 6/14: Juneteenth celebration at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike at 11am ET.
• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at St. Anges/Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church with Bishop Emeritus Martin Amos of Davenport and homilist Fr John Judie at 10am ET.
• 6/19: Juneteenth 5k “Freedom Walk” at Cleveland Central Catholic High School at 1pm ET.

Dallas

• 6/14: Juneteenth celebration at Holy Cross Catholic Church’s Thea Bowman Hall at 10:30am CT.

Denver 

• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Fr Eric David Zegeer and Chuck Abernathy at 10am MT.

Fort Worth

• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Prosper at 10am CT.

Galveston-Houston

• 6/19: Unity Explosion Mass at St. Mary Cathedral Basilica in Galveston with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo at 4pm CT. Gospel choir performance to follow during 6pm Juneteenth celebration at Reedy Chapel AME Church.

Jackson

• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Meridian at 9am CT.

Jefferson City

• 6/19: “Road to Freedom” African-American heritage trail tour at Jim’s Journey in Hannibal featuring Venerable Augustus Tolton and Servant of God Julia Greeley at 2pm CT.

Kansas City-St. Joseph

• 6/21: St. Monica Catholic Church booth at the Juneteenth Heritage Festival in the 18th and Vine District at 12pm CT.

Louisville

• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Louisville at 9am ET.
• 6/19: “How to Use Catholic Church Records to Find Enslaved Ancestors” presentation at First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center in Bardstown with Dan Gediman and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth at 6:30pm Et.

Milwaukee

• 6/14: Juneteenth Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fond du Lac with the All Saints Gospel Choir at 4pm CT.
• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass and blessing ceremony at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church with Archbishop Jeffrey Grob at 8am CT.

Nashville

• 6/19: Juneteenth celebration at Christ the King Catholic Church at 6:30pm CT.

Oakland

• 6/19: Juneteenth concert at St. Columba Catholic Church with pianist Brian Young at 7pm PT.
• 6/19: Juneteenth youth dinner at St. Benedict Catholic Church’s Jay Matthews Hal with Dr. Chiquita Tuttle and the Divine Mercy youth and young adult ministry at 7pm PT.

Omaha

• 6/19: Juneteenth Mass at St. John Catholic Church at 9am CT.

Philadelphia

• 6/21-22: Juneteenth Masses and poetry at St. Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church.

Pittsburgh

• 6/19: Juneteenth celebration in Duquesne University’s Union Africa Room with Dr. Anthony B. Mitchell at 11am ET.

Richmond

• 6/18 (virtual): Juneteenth webinar withDr. Ansel Augustine and the Diocese of Richmond’s Office of Black Catholics at 6pm ET.
• 6/19: Juneteenth celebration at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk at 10am ET.

Sacramento

• 6/19: Juneteenth blessing at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rio Vista at 4pm PT.

Saint Cloud

• 6/19: Juneteenth celebration at Lake George with Catholic Charities St. Cloud at 12pm CT.

San Diego

• 6/22: Juneteenth Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church with Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano at 8:30am PT.

Springfield, Mass.

• 6/15: Juneteenth celebration with Tracye Whitfield and the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary following the 8:30am Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel.

St. Augustine

• 6/19: Juneteenth concert at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine with the Ritz Chamber Players at 7:30pm ET.

St. Louis

• 6/21: “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” prayer service and Maafa procession at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France at 9am CT.

Washington 

• 6/19: Juneteenth prayer breakfast at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church with the Ward 7 and 8 Clergy and Faith Leaders at 9:30am ET.
• 6/21: Juneteenth historical tour with St. Augustine Catholic Church at 9:30am ET.

Wichita

• 6/21: Juneteenth parade beginning at Holy Savior Catholic Church.

Wilmington

• 6/19: Juneteenth celebration at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with Sherry Dorsey-Walker at 6:30pm ET.

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

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