About St. Benedict the Moor · Winston-Salem, North Carolina
St. Benedict the Moor is a historic Catholic parish in East Winston-Salem, North Carolina, founded in 1940 by Bishop Eugene McGuinness of the Diocese of Raleigh to serve the city's African American Catholic community during the era of Jim Crow segregation. It is one of four historically Black parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte and was recognized in 2023 with a Forsyth County historic marker. Today the parish is bilingual, celebrating Mass in both English and Spanish, and serves roughly 400 registered parishioners under the care of Fr. Melchesideck Yumo, a priest from Cameroon serving as Parochial Administrator.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Benedict the Moor
- Rector
- Reverend Melchesideck Wirngo Yumo (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Charlotte
Why belong here
St. Benedict the Moor is a small, intergenerational bilingual parish where nearly every face on Sunday morning has a story rooted in the parish's 85-year history. Parishioners worship together in English and Spanish, share Eucharistic Adoration that runs overnight from Wednesday into Thursday noon, and gather as one family through ministries that span altar service, faith formation, the Saint Monica Guild, the Saint Ann Altar Guild, choirs in two languages, and youth work. The parish is known for the extraordinary loyalty of its members — most famously altar server Willie King, whose grandparents were founding families — and for a pastorate that intentionally serves both East Winston-Salem's historic Black Catholic community and the area's growing Hispanic population.
Mass times at St. Benedict the Moor
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before all Masses
Adoration times
- Wednesday 10:00 PM through Thursday 12:00 PM (noon)
Parish History
St. Benedict the Moor was created on November 24, 1940, by Bishop Eugene McGuinness of the Diocese of Raleigh to serve Winston-Salem's African American Catholics. Before its founding, Black worshippers were seated separately or in balconies at white parishes, and the city's Black Catholic families had to walk more than ten miles to attend Mass at St. Leo the Great. The first Mass of the new community was celebrated at the Howard-Robinson Funeral Home on Patterson Avenue; the church at 1625 East 12th Street was dedicated by Bishop McGuinness on September 7, 1941.
- Pioneer families: Baltimore, Bitting, Crews, Ellis, Grier, Guest, Jones, Maxwell, Pledge (Pledger), Price, Scales, Tucker, Wellman.
- First pastor: Father Ronald Scott, O.F.M., a white Franciscan pioneer of Black Catholic ministry in the Carolinas.
- Franciscan Sisters of Allegany opened St. Anne's Academy in 1946 and St. Benedict Grammar School in 1950.
- St. Anne's Academy closed in 1964 after Bishop McGuinness High School opened; the grammar school has also since closed.
- Recognized by the Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission with a historic marker unveiled November 18, 2023.
Pastor and Staff
The parish has been served since June 2023 by Reverend Melchesideck Wirngo Yumo, a diocesan priest of Buea, Cameroon, sent as a Fidei Donum priest to the Diocese of Charlotte in 2019. Father Yumo also serves as Administrator of Good Shepherd Mission in King, NC; Bishop Michael T. Martin has announced that Father Yumo will return to the Diocese of Buea effective December 31, 2026.
- Parochial Administrator: Rev. Melchesideck Wirngo Yumo ([email protected])
- Business Manager: Carolyn Richards ([email protected])
- Organist: Lois Jones
- Choir Director: Arlene Glymph
- Saint Monica Guild: Charlesetta Taylor
- Saint Ann Altar Guild (parish staff contact)
- Altar Servers coordinator: Willie King
- African Affairs Ministry liaison: Lorraine Mortis
- Hispanic Ministry Coordinator (Bodas, Quinceañera): Olga Casarrubias (336-995-1334)
- Hispanic Youth Coordinator: Angelica Leonides (336-837-7143)
- Hispanic Music: Andres Hernandez
- Hispanic Faith Formation: Teresa Pedraza (336-986-5540)
- Parish Council Chairman: Harold Holmes — [email protected]
- Parish Council Vice-Chair: Angelica Leonides
Faith Formation and Sacraments
Faith formation at St. Benedict the Moor follows a multi-year sacramental sequence. Children prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in a second-grade Sacramental year, after at least one year of prior faith formation. Confirmation is a two-year process that includes stewardship and a Confirmation retreat.
- Baptism: parent preparation workshop required; family must be registered at least three months.
- First Reconciliation and First Eucharist: second grade Sacramental year; first-grade faith formation prerequisite.
- Confirmation: two-year process; stewardship opportunities and a Confirmation retreat are mandatory.
- Quinceañera: arranged through Olga Casarrubias-Nogueda (336-995-1334).
- Godparents/Sponsors: must be registered, practicing Catholics for at least six months before a letter of eligibility can be issued.
Parish Ministries and Groups
The parish sustains a wide network of lay ministries serving both English-speaking and Hispanic members. Music is offered in two traditions — Lois Jones and Arlene Glymph lead the English choirs, while Andres Hernandez directs Hispanic music. The Saint Monica Guild and Saint Ann Altar Guild anchor the women's and liturgical-service life of the parish.
- Music Ministry (English): Organist Lois Jones; Choir Director Arlene Glymph.
- Hispanic Music Ministry: Andres Hernandez.
- Altar Servers: Willie King (coordinator; training parish youth).
- Hispanic Youth Ministry: Angelica Leonides.
- Hispanic Faith Formation: Teresa Pedraza.
- Saint Monica Guild: Charlesetta Taylor.
- Saint Ann Altar Guild.
- African American Affairs Ministry liaison: Lorraine Mortis.
- Ushers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Buildings & Grounds Committee.
- Parish Council: meets the 2nd Monday of every month at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall; chaired by Harold Holmes.
East Winston Community and Heritage
Since 1940 St. Benedict the Moor has been a spiritual and cultural anchor of East Winston-Salem. The parish's founding came during the era of Jim Crow, when harsh segregation laws prevented Black Catholics from sharing integrated worship, and the parish was built — along with its school — to serve that community specifically. Today, the old school building continues to host faith formation classes and ministries, and the parish recently received a $64,000 estate gift from the late Irma Gadson to help fund capital improvements, beginning with the roof.
- Recognized with a Forsyth County historic marker on November 18, 2023.
- Named for St. Benedict the Moor, a Franciscan friar and patron saint of African Americans (feast day April 4).
- A community where the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of founding families still serve alongside new Hispanic members.
Good Shepherd Mission, King, NC
St. Benedict the Moor shares pastoral leadership with Good Shepherd Catholic Mission in nearby King, NC. Father Melchesideck Yumo serves as Administrator of both communities, a diocesan arrangement that links the historic East Winston parish with a smaller mission church about 25 miles northwest.
- Mission church: Good Shepherd Catholic Mission, King, NC.
- Jointly administered with St. Benedict the Moor by Father Yumo.
Visiting and Getting Involved
Visitors are welcome at any Mass — English at 9:00 AM, Spanish at 2:00 PM on Sundays, or one of the three weekday noon Masses on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Confessions are heard before every Mass, and the Wednesday-night-into-Thursday Adoration is a particularly quiet opportunity for prayer in the church.
- Parish Office: 1625 E. 12th Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
- Phone: (336) 725-9200; Email: [email protected].
- Office hours: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monday – Friday.
- Appointments with Father Yumo: [email protected] or (336) 725-9200.
- Parish Council meets the 2nd Monday of every month at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ronald Scott, O.F.M.1940–1945
Founding pastor; white Franciscan pioneer missionary to Black Catholic communities in the Carolinas since 1933; presided at the first Mass on Nov. 24, 1940 at Howard-Robinson Funeral Home.
- Franciscan friars (Order of Friars Minor, Province of the Most Holy Name)1940–1966
Staffed the parish continuously from founding through the mid-1960s; Father Jerome Dawson, O.F.M., was among the Franciscans who served the early parish.
- Jesuit priests and diocesan clergy1966 onward
Took over pastoral care after the Franciscans; included Father Basil Sede.
- Father Basil Sede2015–2018
First Black parish priest of St. Benedict the Moor; named on the parish's 2023 historic marker.
- Reverend Melchesideck Wirngo YumoJune 2023–present (transferring Dec. 31, 2026)
Appointed Parochial Administrator by Bishop Jugis; also Administrator of Good Shepherd Mission, King. Born April 5, ordained April 9, 2015 by Bishop Immanuel Bushu in Buea, Cameroon.