About Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church · Fort Worth, Texas
Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church is a historic Catholic parish in Fort Worth, Texas, and Tarrant County's only African-American Catholic church. Founded in 1929 by the Josephite Fathers (Society of St. Joseph — SSJ), it was established to serve Black Catholics in the Historic Southside neighborhood of southeast Fort Worth. The parish has been at its current home at 1001 East Terrell Avenue since 1952, when it relocated from its original Verbena Street / Evans Avenue location (a property now listed on the National Register of Historic Places). Today the parish is led by Father Peter Wiafe-Akenteng, appointed July 1, 2025, and continues a vibrant, multiethnic Catholic community life rooted in nearly a century of faith, music, ministry, and outreach.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mercy (Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy)
- Rector
- Rev. Peter Wiafe-Akenteng
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
Our Mother of Mercy is more than a parish — it is a nearly century-old Catholic family in Fort Worth's Historic Southside, where worship is warm, deeply musical, and rooted in a rich African-American Catholic heritage. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass, multiple weekly hours of Eucharistic Adoration, frequent Confession before every Mass, RCIA (OCIA), a strong Music Ministry under choir director Donna Patrick, and a remarkable range of lay ministries — Knights of St. Peter Claver, Ladies Auxiliary, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Anne's Altar Society, Youth Ministry, Bereavement, Sick & Shut-In, and more — all welcoming new members and visitors with genuine hospitality.
Mass times at Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 6:00 AM – 6:50 AM and 7:30 AM – 7:55 AM
- Saturday: 7:00 AM – 7:55 AM and 4:00 PM – 4:55 PM
- By appointment during parish office hours
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday: 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM
- Friday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM (noon)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:55 PM
About Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church
Our Mother of Mercy is a vibrant Catholic parish with a long-standing tradition of worship, service, and community rooted in Fort Worth's east side. Founded under the guidance of the Josephite Fathers, the parish has faithfully served generations of families with a strong commitment to the spiritual and social well-being of the community. While the parish honors its rich history within a traditionally African-American Catholic context, it joyfully welcomes and serves a growing, diverse, multiethnic congregation. Its mission is to proclaim the Gospel, celebrate the Sacraments, and extend Christ's love through service and outreach.
- Pastor: Father Peter Wiafe-Akenteng ([email protected])
- Parish Secretary: Lydia Martinez Salas ([email protected])
- Bookkeeper: Jennifer JB. Rattliff ([email protected])
- Parish Office: Wednesday & Thursday 11 AM – 5 PM; Friday 10 AM – 1 PM; closed Monday & Tuesday
Parish History
The parish was founded in 1929 when Bishop Joseph Lynch of the Diocese of Dallas invited the Josephite Fathers (S.S.J.) to open a parish for Black Catholics in Fort Worth. Father Narcisse (Narcissus) Denis, SSJ, was assigned in December 1928 and celebrated the first Mass on January 13, 1929 in a small house on Missouri Avenue and Verbena Street, with only a dozen faithful present. A 150-seat church was built by year's end on Verbena and Evans Avenue, and within a few years a school staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit was added. In 1952 the parish relocated a few blocks northeast to its current home at 1001 East Terrell Avenue, the former Holy Name Church site, where it has remained ever since.
- 1929 — First Mass celebrated Jan. 13, 1929; new 150-seat church built by year's end
- 1929/1931 — Our Mother of Mercy School opens, staffed by Sisters of the Holy Spirit
- 1941 — Mission church of St. Veronica opens in the Lake Como community (Dec. 14, 1941)
- 1952 — Relocation to 1001 East Terrell Avenue (former Holy Name Church)
- 1978–1997 — Steady growth under Josephite pastors; order concludes service after 78 years
- 1999 — Original 1929 church and parsonage listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- 2006 — Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.) invited; Fr. Jerome Ledoux first SVD in the Diocese of Fort Worth
- 2015–2016 — Parish serves as the Diocese of Fort Worth's principal Door of Mercy
- 2022 — Very Rev. John Robert Skeldon appointed Canonical Pastor; Deacon Tom Giovannitti Parish Life Coordinator
- 2025 — Father Peter Wiafe-Akenteng appointed pastor (July 1, 2025); parish celebrates 95th anniversary
Liturgical & Music Ministries
Worship is at the heart of parish life. The Music Ministry enriches the Mass with song drawn from the African-American Catholic tradition and beyond, under the direction of choir director Ms. Donna Patrick. Rehearsals are Saturday mornings from 10:00 AM to noon in the church, and the choir sings at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass. Altar Servers (boys and girls from grade 3 and up), Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (who also bring Communion to the sick and homebound), and Ushers round out the liturgical ministries.
- Music Ministry — Director: Ms. Donna Patrick
- Altar Servers (grades 3+)
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ushers
- Eucharistic Adoration volunteers
Faith Formation — OCIA, CCE & Youth
The parish welcomes new Catholics through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), which provides Catholic education and instruction for those seeking to become Catholic and prepares adults for Confirmation. Catholic Christian Education (C.C.E.) provides ongoing religious instruction for children and adults in the Catholic faith, and the Youth Ministry helps young people grow in knowledge and faith through service projects and social activities.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — for adults seeking Baptism, Eucharist, or Confirmation
- C.C.E. Religious Education
- Youth Ministry (service + social activities)
- Baptism Preparation for parents
Parish Life, Outreach & Service
Our Mother of Mercy carries out a wide range of community and parish-life ministries — from emergency aid and altar care to bereavement support and safety — all staffed by volunteers who keep the parish running and welcoming.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — emergency aid to the community
- Knights of St. Peter Claver & Ladies Auxiliary (with Junior Knights and Junior Daughters)
- St. Anne's Altar Society — prepares the altar for each liturgical season
- Bereavement Ministry
- Sick and Shut-In Ministry (Communion visits and phone calls)
- Fellowship Committee
- Hospitality
- Parish Pastoral Council (PPC)
- Finance Council
- Offertory Counters
- Guardian Ministry — safety and security for worship
Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School (1929–2016)
From its earliest years Our Mother of Mercy operated its own parish school — one of the most important institutions in Fort Worth's African-American community. The school was established by Father Narcisse Denis, staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit (later the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate), and educated generations of Black children in southeast Fort Worth. By 1952, when the parish moved to East Terrell Avenue, enrollment had grown to about 250 students. The school closed in 2016, when Bishop Michael F. Olson announced its transition into Cristo Rey Fort Worth High School, a Catholic college-preparatory school serving students from underserved communities.
- Founded 1929/1931 by Fr. Narcisse Denis, SSJ
- Staffed for decades by the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate
- Original school building (corner of Verbena and Missouri) now part of the Ella Mae Shamblee Library
- Transitioned in 2016 to Cristo Rey Fort Worth High School at 1007 E. Terrell Avenue
The Jubilee Year of Mercy Door of Mercy (2015–2016)
In 2015 Bishop Michael F. Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth chose Our Mother of Mercy as the principal church for the diocese's celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. From December 8, 2015 through November 20, 2016, the parish served as a designated Door of Mercy, welcoming pilgrims from across the diocese and beyond — many for the first time — into 'a sacred space of mercy, reflection, and renewal.'
- Designated Door of Mercy by Bishop Michael F. Olson, Diocese of Fort Worth
- Jubilee Year: December 8, 2015 – November 20, 2016
A Historic Property — The National Register
The original 1929 church (now Sunshine Cumberland Presbyterian Church) and the 1911 parsonage next door at 1100–1104 Evans Avenue were listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 22, 1999 (NRHP #99000882) as contributing properties to the Near Southeast Historic District. The 1929 church — designed by its pastor, Father N.P. Denis — is a Period Revival / Tudor Revival and Queen Anne-influenced gabled brick building with a corner bell tower, half-timbering, and stuccoed gable ends. The former school building on Verbena Street was acquired by the City of Fort Worth and incorporated into the Ella Mae Shamblee Library.
- Listed on NRHP July 22, 1999 (#99000882)
- Contributing property to the Near Southeast Historic District (designated 2002)
- Original church now houses Sunshine Cumberland Presbyterian Church
- Former school building now part of the Ella Mae Shamblee Library
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Narcisse (Narcissus) Denis, SSJ1928–1939
Josephite founder of the parish; designed the original 1929 church and established the school
- Fr. Thomas Brophy, SSJ1939–1949
Josephite
- Fr. Thomas Collins, SSJ1949–1956
Josephite; served during the 1952 relocation to East Terrell Avenue
- Fr. Edward Bowes, SSJ1957–1963
Josephite
- Fr. John Geelan, SSJ1963–1969
Josephite
- Fr. Paul Lanigan, SSJ1969–1970
Josephite
- Fr. Charles Crowley, SSJ1970–1972
Josephite
- Fr. Thomas Collins, SSJ1972–1977
Josephite; second term
- Fr. Harold Gregory, SSJ1977–1981
Josephite
- Fr. Martin Kenney, SSJ1981–1989
Josephite
- Fr. Kenneth Howard, SSJ1989–1991
Josephite
- Fr. Vincent Inametti, MSP1991–1997
Missionary of St. Paul — the only non-Josephite pastor in the parish's first 68 years
- Fr. Michael Farrell, SSJ1997–2005
Josephite; last Josephite pastor before the order ended its 78-year tenure
- Fr. Jerome Ledoux, SVD2006–2015
Society of the Divine Word; first SVD priest in the Diocese of Fort Worth
- Fr. Darrell Kelly, SVD2015
Society of the Divine Word
- Fr. Bartlomiej Jasilek, SVD2016–2022
Society of the Divine Word; last SVD pastor before the order's departure June 30, 2022
- Very Rev. John Robert SkeldonJuly 1, 2022 – July 1, 2025
Canonical Pastor (while remaining Rector of St. Patrick Cathedral); Deacon Tom Giovannitti served as Parish Life Coordinator
- Fr. Peter Wiafe-AkentengJuly 1, 2025 – present
From the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana; current pastor