Where to find a Catholic Juneteenth event (2026 edition)
Our annual listing of Catholic (and Catholic-adjacent) Juneteenth events around the country.
History
Louisiana's first Black Josephite priest, John Plantevigne, was barred from saying Mass
Tammy C. Barney on the trials of an early 20th-century Black Catholic priest whose ministry was curtailed by the prevailing tides of racism.
Why the way we understand the South matters, especially in criminal justice.
by Jamiles Lartey, Louisiana Illuminator June 15, 2026 This commentary was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for The Marshall Project’s newsletters and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. Last month, members of
Ss. Monica and Luke Catholic Church in Gary, Indiana, closes amid financial pressures
Formed by a 1980 merger and home to many Black Catholics, the parish celebrated a final Mass in May after mutual discernment with the diocese.
St. Augustine Church in New Orleans returns to in-building worship after nearly five years
Damage from Hurricane Ida rendered the edifice unsafe in 2021, leading to an extended fundraising campaign and a historic preservation grant.
Clarence B. Jones, MLK speechwriter who helped pen 'I Have a Dream', dead at 95
The Catholic-raised attorney, aide, and academic received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024 for his work in the Civil Rights Movement.
The new prayer service from the U.S. Catholic bishops doesn't honor the enslaved. It erases them.
Nate Tinner-Williams says the new text is a cheapened catch-all intended for immigrants—with African Americans as a throwaway half-mention.
Charlotte's Black Catholic church to receive $4 million grant for repairs
Additional matching funds for the historic parish will be unlocked pending the success of a $1.5M capital campaign set to launch next year.
Bishop John Ricard, Josephite who served as first Black Catholic prelate in Florida, dead at 86
The Louisiana-born leader ministered for nearly six decades, serving as a mental health professional, parish priest, bishop, and administrator.
In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV apologizes for Vatican role in slavery, discusses dangers of AI
The lengthy new document covers the nature of emerging technology, its effects on respect for human dignity, and the risk of modern bondage.
Review: W. Ralph Eubanks' 'When It's Darkness on the Delta' gives context to a national heartland
Rana Irby reviews a new work from a Black Catholic author on his experiences in and understanding of a complicated, misunderstood region.
Being Church means taking a radical stand for the work of Jesus (An Ascension reflection)
Dcn Tim Tilghman relates the Sunday readings to a historic moment in the Washington Archdiocese, linked to the history of Black Catholic activism.
A moral call to defend Black voting rights: How Catholics should respond
Efran Menny surveys the history of African-American disenfranchisement and urges faithful Catholic witness to stem the tide of injustice.
On pilgrimage to Pierre: New York's holy hairdresser and the quiet revolution
Tulio Huggins reflects on a trip to the tomb of Venerable Pierre Toussaint, one of the nation's seven Black Catholics on the road to sainthood.
'We are them. They are us.': St. Louis Catholics gather for workshop unpacking racism, the Church's response
The event, based on the USCCB’s 2018 letter “Open Wide Our Hearts," was organized by the Office of Racial Harmony and Black Catholic Ministries.
'Michael' review: Hits all the right notes with an ascendant Jaafar Jackson
Samantha Smith writes that the new biopic is a worthy tribute to an entertainment figure who, even in death, remains larger than life.