RICHMOND, Va. — A new exhibit at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia celebrates the 140-year legacy of one of the South’s earliest Black Catholic congregations.
“Faith & Resilience: The Legacy of Black Catholics in Virginia” tells the story of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which served as a beacon of hope for Black Catholics in Richmond.
The church’s history began in 1879 when Bishop John King started ministering to African Americans in the basement of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Jackson Ward.
“And then in 1884 he felt there was a need to found a church, to build a church for the blacks, and so he did that and in 1885 November 22, he dedicated St Joseph’s Catholic Church,” said Rev. Tochi Iwuji, Pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Church and Director of Office for Black Catholics…