About Saint Benedict the Moor · Savannah, Georgia
St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church is a historically Black Catholic parish in Savannah, Georgia, established in 1874 and recognized as the Mother Church of Black Catholics in Georgia. Founded by French Benedictine missionaries to serve the city's African-American population, the parish is currently staffed by the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP) and sits at 441 East Broad Street in Savannah's east-side historic district. It is known for its deep Black Catholic heritage, its long-running school that counts U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas among its alumni, and its role as a spiritual home for generations of Savannah's Black Catholic faithful.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- Saint Benedict the Moor
- Rector
- Rev. Anselm Eke, MSP
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
St. Benedict the Moor offers a deeply rooted worship and community life — Saturday Vigil Mass, two Sunday Masses, a monthly Unity Mass, and weekday morning Mass Wednesday through Friday — alongside an unusually broad set of parish ministries including religious education for K–11, a Youth Ministry, Music Ministry with multiple choirs, Eucharistic Ministers who bring Communion to the sick and shut-ins, Altar Servers, Lectors, Ushers, a Health Guild, and a Children's Liturgy of the Word. Add in the parish organizations — Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, Legion of Mary, and New Horizons of Women and Men — and visitors find a parish that is at once a place of historical significance as the Mother Church of Black Catholics in Georgia and a vibrant, hands-on community where members are known and called to serve.
Mass times at Saint Benedict the Moor
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 5:25 PM (before the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass)
Parish History
St. Benedict the Moor was founded on May 13, 1874, when two French Benedictine priests, Rev. Bergier and Rev. Wissel, arrived in Savannah to minister to the African-American community. Within months they built and dedicated a small frame church at the corner of East Broad and Harris Streets — a structure reportedly completed in only two weeks. The 1876 yellow fever epidemic claimed Fr. Bergier's life, and the surviving Benedictines eventually withdrew, leaving the parish in the care of diocesan priests. A larger church was constructed at the present site in 1889 and the Benedictines returned to staff it until 1907.
- 1874 — Founded by Rev. Bergier and Rev. Wissel, Benedictine Fathers of France
- 1876 — Yellow fever epidemic kills Fr. Bergier; Benedictines withdraw
- 1888 — Bishop purchases land at present East Broad Street site
- 1889 — New church constructed; Benedictines return
- 1907 — Parish turned over to the Society of African Missions (SMA)
- 1949 — Current church constructed on the same site as the 1889 church
- 1968 — SMA departs; Diocese of Savannah assumes responsibility
- 2008 — Georgia Historical Society dedicates historical marker: 'Mother Church of Black Catholics in Georgia'
- 2024 — Parish celebrates 150th anniversary (October 4–6)
The SMA Era and Black Catholic Heritage
In 1907 the parish was entrusted to the Society of African Missions. Rev. Ignatius Lissner and Rev. Gustave Obrecht, both from France, arrived that year, and Fr. Obrecht served as pastor for nearly forty years. Under SMA leadership the parish became the spiritual center of Black Catholic life in Georgia and oversaw a Franciscan Sisters–staffed day school and the St. Francis Orphanage for Colored Children founded by Mother Matilda Beasley. The SMAs remained until 1968, when the Diocese of Savannah took direct responsibility for the parish.
- Rev. Ignatius Lissner, SMA — arrived 1907
- Rev. Gustave Obrecht, SMA — pastor for nearly forty years
- Fr. Feeley, Fr. Harold, Fr. Bane — later SMA pastors
- Mother Matilda Beasley — first African-American woman in Georgia to belong to a religious order
Architecture
The 1949 church combines a brick front-gabled hall and a traditional basilica plan with midcentury modernism. The East Broad Street façade is defined by a central projecting bay with a recessed entrance, an inlaid glass-block cross in the upper wall, a two-tiered gabled parapet, and a side-tucked bell tower.
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Benedict the Moor offers Mass on Saturday evening, twice on Sunday morning (with a special monthly Unity Mass), and three weekday mornings in the church. The schedule below is taken from the parish's official website.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:30 PM
- Sunday Mass — 9:00 AM
- Sunday Mass — 11:30 AM
- First Sunday of every month — Unity Mass at 10:00 AM (no Saturday Vigil that weekend)
- Weekday Mass in Church — Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 8:00 AM
- Confessions — Saturday 5:00 PM to 5:25 PM
- Devotions — every Friday at 6:00 PM
Parish Ministries
The parish runs an unusually broad set of ministries that span liturgical, educational, charitable, and social concerns. Many are coordinated by named volunteer contacts on the parish website.
- Youth Liturgy of the Word (children ages 5+) — Contact: Sharon Carson or Teresa Garvin
- Music Ministry — four choirs plus musicians: Aretha Scott (Unity Mass), Yvonne Williams (5:30 PM), Alicia Carter (9:00 AM), Adrian Broxton (11:30 AM); musicians Phyllis Mackey and Kathy Stewart
- Religious Education (K–Grade 11, plus Beginnings Program) — Director: Sharon Carson
- Eucharistic Ministry — Contact: Torrance Garvin or Gloria Stephens
- Youth Ministry (Acolytes, Youth Choir, Squires, Liturgical Dancers; ages 18–35) — Contact: Taylor Walden
- Altar Servers (grades 5–12 who have received First Eucharist) — Sacristan: William Wright
- Health Guild Ministry for Christ — Contact: Wilma Brown
- Lectors — Contact: Sharon Carson
- Ushers (meet 2nd Thursday at 6:00 PM in the parish hall) — Contact: Marion Singleton or Michael Chaney
Parish Organizations
Beyond the liturgical ministries, the parish hosts a range of lay organizations that serve the parish and the wider Savannah community, including groups dedicated to women's fellowship, Marian devotion, fraternal service, and evangelization.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — organized 1981; motto 'Service to Fellowmen'; meets third Sunday after the 9:00 AM Mass in the parish hall
- New Horizons of Women and Men — founded June 25, 2005, under then-spiritual-director Fr. Desmond C. Ohankwere, MSP
- Legion of Mary — meets every Wednesday at 12:30 PM at St. Benedict Education Building; works include evangelization and visitation of the sick
- Knights of Columbus — St. Benedict Council
- Associate Missionaries
Sacraments & Faith Formation
The parish prepares children and adults for the sacraments through its Religious Education Program, which runs from Kindergarten through Grade 11 and includes an ungraded Beginnings Program for those returning after an absence and special-needs catechesis. Sacramental preparation flows through this program. Eucharistic Ministers also bring Holy Communion to the sick, hospitalized, and homebound.
- Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation preparation
- Religious Education for K–Grade 11
- Beginnings Program for returning Catholics
- Communion visits to the sick and shut-ins
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by a pastor from the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP), supported by parish staff and elected councils that oversee finance, development, and pastoral life.
- Rev. Anselm Eke, MSP — Pastor
- Ms. Sharon Carson — Executive Secretary / Superintendent of Religious Education
- Carl Hayes — Chairperson, Finance Council
- Dianne Williams — Chairperson, Development Council (Edna Mason, Secretary)
- Parish Council and Pastoral Council members — Greg Maloof, Torrance Garvin, Joseph Carter, Ebonee Jarrett, Tracey Maloof, Marvin Manning Sr., Audrey Moultrie, Melanie White
Visiting & Contact
St. Benedict the Moor sits in Savannah's historic east-side neighborhood on East Broad Street. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
- Address: 441 East Broad Street, Savannah, GA 31401
- Phone: (912) 232-7147
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stbenedict-sav.org
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Bergier (Benedictine)1874–1876
Co-founder of the parish; died in the 1876 yellow fever epidemic in Savannah.
- Rev. Wissel (Benedictine)1874–
Co-founder of the parish alongside Fr. Bergier in May 1874.
- Benedictine Fathers (second period)1889–1907
Returned to staff the parish after the 1889 church was built; withdrew again in 1907.
- Rev. Ignatius Lissner, SMA1907–
French SMA priest who arrived with Fr. Obrecht to take over the parish in 1907.
- Rev. Gustave Obrecht, SMA1907–c.1947
French SMA priest; served as pastor for nearly forty years.
- Fr. Feeley
SMA pastor succeeding Fr. Obrecht.
- Fr. Harold
SMA pastor.
- Fr. Bane
SMA pastor; served before the SMA departure in 1968.
- Fr. Desmond C. Ohankwere, MSP2005–
Listed in parish records as spiritual director who helped launch the New Horizons of Women in June 2005.
- Rev. Anselm Eke, MSP
Current pastor; a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Paul (MSP).