About Saint Benedict the Moor · Washington, District of Columbia
St. Benedict the Moor is a historically Black Catholic parish located at 320 21st Street NE in the Kingman Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C., just east of RFK Stadium and the Stadium–Armory Metro station. Canonically established in 1946 by Archbishop Michael Joseph Curley, the parish was entrusted from the start to the Josephites (Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart), whose mission is ministry to African American communities. Today, under Josephite pastor Reverend Michał Sajnog, the parish remains a small but vibrant worshiping community that has welcomed a Ge'ez Rite Catholic congregation into its life, while traditional parish organizations continue a long legacy of prayer, service, and fellowship in Northeast D.C.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Benedict the Moor (16th-century Black Franciscan lay brother, patron of people of African descent)
- Rector
- Reverend Michał Sajnog, SSJ (Josephite)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Benedict the Moor offers an intimate, historic worship experience in a 1952 church that has served the African American Catholic community of Northeast Washington for nearly 80 years. Parishioners can join a small but active community with strong traditional organizations—the Holy Name Society, Sodality, Ladies of Charity, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Gospel Choir, Food Bank, and SHARE program—plus a unique ministry of hospitality that has welcomed a Ge'ez Rite Catholic congregation into the parish's life. With Mass in English on Saturdays and Sundays, regular confession times, and direct outreach to neighbors in need through the St. Vincent de Paul helpline (202-397-1616), it is a parish where belonging quickly becomes family.
Mass times at Saint Benedict the Moor
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Sunday 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Our Story & Heritage
St. Benedict the Moor was canonically established in 1946 by Archbishop Michael Joseph Curley as an African American parish entrusted to the Josephites. The first parish Mass was celebrated on Passion Sunday, April 17, 1946, in a former U.S. Army Map Service recreation hall at Oklahoma Avenue and E Street NE. Cardinal Patrick A. O'Boyle dedicated the present brick church building at 320 21st Street NE in 1952, and the parish has served the Kingman Park and Northeast D.C. community from that same building ever since. Cardinal Wuerl, celebrating the parish's 70th anniversary in 2016, called St. Benedict the Moor 'a living tribute to the great faith of the African-American members of the Church who have always been faithful… even in the face of the injustice and inequity of segregation.'
- Founded 1946 under Archbishop Michael Joseph Curley
- First Mass: Passion Sunday, April 17, 1946
- Current church dedicated 1952 by Cardinal Patrick A. O'Boyle
- Named for St. Benedict the Moor, 16th-century Black Franciscan saint
- 70th anniversary Mass celebrated by Cardinal Donald Wuerl in 2016
The Josephite Connection
From the beginning, St. Benedict the Moor was entrusted to the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart—commonly known as the Josephites—a religious community of priests and brothers whose exclusive mission is ministry to African American communities in the United States. The parish was returned to the direct pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Washington on February 1, 2003, while retaining a Josephite pastor; the current pastor, Reverend Michał Sajnog, SSJ, continues that tradition.
- Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites / SSJ)
- Father William L. Norvel, SSJ — first African American pastor assigned to serve in Washington, D.C. (installed 1971)
- Parish returned to Archdiocese of Washington pastoral care on February 1, 2003
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a small, dedicated staff working out of the rectory at 320 21st Street NE.
- Pastor: Reverend Michał Sajnog, SSJ
- Deacon: Kenneth Lee
- Secretary: Malissa Freese
Holiday & Holy Day Masses
The parish publishes a dedicated Advent & Christmas schedule each year with Mass times for the major feasts and a parish Christmas Play.
- Thanksgiving Day: 9:00 AM
- Immaculate Conception (Dec 8): 10:00 AM
- Christmas Vigil (Dec 24)
- Christmas Day (Dec 25): 10:00 AM
- Mary, Holy Mother of God (Jan 1): 10:00 AM
- Epiphany of the Lord: 10:00 AM
- Baptism of the Lord: 10:00 AM
- Kidane Mehret Christmas (Ge'ez Rite community)
Parish Organizations & Ministries
A rich array of traditional parish organizations—many rooted in the parish's African American Catholic heritage—expresses the community's longstanding commitment to prayer, service, and fellowship.
- Holy Name Society — men's spiritual fellowship
- Sodality — Marian devotional organization
- Ladies of Charity
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — charity and direct aid (helpline: 202-397-1616)
- Gospel Choir
- Food Bank
- SHARE program
- Ge'ez Rite (Kidane Mehret) Ethiopian Catholic community, hosted at the parish
Assistance & Outreach
Through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the parish offers help to neighbors experiencing financial hardship or in need of food or basic support. Call 202-397-1616 and leave a voicemail; a member of the Society will return the call.
- St. Vincent de Paul helpline: (202) 397-1616
- Food Bank for parishioners and neighbors
- SHARE program (community food savings)
The Imperial Room & Facilities
The parish center completed in 1978—affectionately called the Imperial Room—allowed the original 1952 combined church/hall building to be reserved exclusively as a sanctuary for Mass, while parish meetings, receptions, weddings, and larger community gatherings moved to the new center. The Imperial Room remains a vital civic and ecclesial meeting space in Northeast D.C.; in recent years it hosted a public forum with the Mayor on the future of the RFK Campus attended by more than 350 residents.
- 1978 parish center known as the Imperial Room
- Original 1952 building now reserved exclusively as a worship space
- Imperial Room available for parish events, weddings, and community meetings
- Parish grounds historically included basketball courts and a baseball field for neighborhood recreation
School & the Oblate Sisters of Providence
In 1962, a new phase of ministry began with the opening of St. Benedict the Moor School and a convent along 21st Street. The school was placed under the care of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, assisted by lay teachers. The Oblate Sisters of Providence, founded by Mother Mary Lange in Baltimore in 1829, are historically significant as the first permanent community of Black Catholic sisters, formed specifically to educate and serve children of African descent. Their presence at St. Benedict the Moor linked the parish to a much older Black Catholic educational tradition in the Mid-Atlantic, and they taught and administered at the school for decades.
- St. Benedict the Moor School opened 1962
- Convent opened along 21st Street in 1962
- School staffed by the Oblate Sisters of Providence and lay teachers
- Oblate Sisters of Providence founded by Mother Mary Lange in Baltimore in 1829
Visit, Register & Contact
St. Benedict the Moor welcomes new parishioners. Registration helps the parish know, support, and pray for families and individuals in a more intentional way. The parish is wheelchair accessible and is served by the Stadium–Armory Metro station on Capitol Hill's eastern edge.
- Address: 320 21st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
- Phone: (202) 397-3895
- Fax: (240) 206-1204
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sbmdc.org
- Sunday Mass live-streamed on YouTube (@stbenedictmoore)
- Near Stadium–Armory Metro station (Blue/Orange/Silver lines) and RFK Stadium
- Wheelchair accessible
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis T. Carney, SSJ1943–(reassigned)
First priest appointed to organize the new African American parish in Northeast Washington in August 1943; later reassigned to nearby St. Cyprian's.
- Father Thomas E. Burke, SSJ1940s
Took up the work of establishing the parish after Father Carney; oversaw first Mass on Passion Sunday, April 17, 1946.
- Father Joseph Connor, SSJ
Josephite pastor in the post-war decades.
- Father Edward Casserly, SSJ
Josephite pastor.
- Father Edward Mullowney, SSJ
Josephite pastor.
- Father William L. Norvel, SSJ1971–
First African American pastor assigned to serve in Washington, D.C.; St. Benedict the Moor was his first pastorate.
- Father Rawlin Ennett, SSJ
Josephite pastor in later decades.
- Father Richard Albarano, SSJ
Josephite pastor.
- Father Patrick Healy, SSJ
Josephite pastor.