“A stepping stone for blacks from the Village to Harlem.” That is what Auxiliary Bishop Emerson Moore said about St. Benedict the Moor Church. This wasn’t just any church. It was the first Catholic church in New York City to welcome Black people.
Welcome to St. Benedict the Moor Church. It once stood proudly here on West 53rd Street in Hell’s Kitchen. Its story is one of faith, community, and change.
In 1883, Father Thomas Farrell left $5,000 to start a Black Catholic mission. He wanted to right the wrongs faced by Black people in America. This mission became St. Benedict the Moor. It was the first Black Catholic church north of the Mason-Dixon line.
Initially, the church was on Bleecker Street in what was then Little Africa. Many African Americans lived there at the time. In 1892, St. Benedict the Moor took over the former Third Universalist Church. But as the Black population moved north to Harlem, the church followed.
In 1898, St. Benedict the Moor moved to this location. It took over the former Second German Church of the Evangelical Association. The Italianate-style red brick church had been built in 1869.
The church flourished. Thousands registered as members. About half of them were converts. St. Benedict the Moor became a national parish for African Americans in the city. It was a hub for Black Catholics and important events.
Augustus Tolton, the first openly Black Catholic priest in the U.S., celebrated his first Mass here in 1886. William Augustine Williams, the first openly Black Catholic seminarian, served as the parish sacristan.
St. Benedict the Moor also hosted “lyceums.” These discussion groups attracted Black intellectuals such as Hubert Harrison and Arturo Schomburg. The church became known as the “intellectual center of the New York Negro.”
Over time, the neighborhood changed. Many African Americans moved to Harlem. St. Benedict the Moor saw a decline. By the turn of the millennium, there were rumors of closure. The church ceased operating as a worship site in 2007. It was deconsecrated in 2017.
In 2023, the property was sold to a developer. The church itself must remain intact for at least 20 years. It can be repurposed for other uses. The new owners plan to renovate the church. They will also erect a new building with residences and a community center.
St. Benedict the Moor may no longer be a Catholic church. But its legacy lives on. It was a beacon of hope and a center of community for Black Catholics in New York City. Its walls hold stories of faith, struggle, and triumph.