About St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish · Phoenix, Arizona
St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish is a personal mission parish in the Diocese of Phoenix dedicated to the pastoral care and evangelization of African American and Black Catholics in the Valley. Located near downtown Phoenix at 809 S. 7th Ave., it is the first Black Catholic parish established in the Diocese of Phoenix, formally erected in June 2022 under Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. The community celebrates a weekly Sunday Gospel Mass, daily Mass Monday through Thursday, and gathers for devotions to its patron, St. Josephine Bakhita — including veneration of a First-Class Sacred Relic kept at the parish.
- Established
- 2022
- Patron
- St. Josephine Bakhita
- Rector
- Rev. Andrew (Fr. Andrew McNair)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
St. Josephine Bakhita is a home for the Black Catholic community of Phoenix and anyone who wishes to worship with them — a place the community itself describes as the 'Promised Land' after decades of wandering without a parish of its own. The mission combines a deep devotional life around its patron (a weekly Litany of St. Josephine Bakhita, veneration of a First-Class Sacred Relic, and votive candles at her altar) with practical outreach to neighbors in need, especially through its Emergency Food Pantry serving families across the Valley. If you are looking for an English-language Catholic community with a strong cultural identity, joyful Gospel Mass, and tangible charity work, this is a parish worth visiting.
Mass times at St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
- Wednesday: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
- By appointment
- Also available during the monthly Holy Hour for Vocations (1st Thursday, 5:30–6:30 PM)
Adoration times
- 1st Thursday of each month: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life, hosted and live-streamed by the Office of Black Catholic Ministry)
Welcome to St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish
St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish is the Diocese of Phoenix's mission for the pastoral care and evangelization of African Americans and Black Catholics. Located near downtown Phoenix at 809 S. 7th Ave., the parish is the spiritual home of a community that spent decades worshipping and praying together before receiving its own canonical home in 2022. The parish welcomes all who wish to celebrate the Gospel Mass, venerate the relic of St. Josephine Bakhita, or join in the food pantry and other outreach.
- First Black Catholic parish in the Diocese of Phoenix
- Erected June 2022 by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
- Pastored by Fr. Andrew McNair, who also directs the diocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministry
History & Founding
The roots of the parish reach back to the early 1990s, when the Diocese of Phoenix established its Office of Black Catholic Ministry. For decades the Black Catholic community gathered for worship at the former St. Pius X church near downtown Phoenix — at times as seldom as once a month — and prayed for a pastor of their own. That prayer was answered on June 26, 2022, when Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted formally erected St. Josephine Bakhita Mission and appointed Fr. Andrew McNair as administrator, with the inaugural Mass celebrated on August 7, 2022. The community marked its first Founders Day on June 11, 2023, and on Dec. 31, 2023, Bishop John P. Dolan canonically installed Fr. McNair as pastor of the now-renamed St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish.
- Early 1990s — Office of Black Catholic Ministry established in the Diocese of Phoenix
- June 26, 2022 — Bishop Olmsted formally erects St. Josephine Bakhita Mission
- Aug. 7, 2022 — Inaugural Mass celebrated (12 p.m.)
- June 11, 2023 — First Founders Day (Solemnity of the Founding of the Parish) celebrated by Bishop Olmsted
- Dec. 31, 2023 — Bishop Dolan canonically installs Fr. McNair as pastor
Devotion to St. Josephine Bakhita
Devotion to the parish's patron saint is woven into the weekly life of the community. A First-Class Sacred Relic of St. Josephine Bakhita is kept at the parish and is available for veneration Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (or by appointment). Six-day votive candles may be lit at her altar — available from the parish office for a $10 offering — and special Masses may be requested at her altar by contacting the office. The parish also publishes the Litany of St. Josephine Bakhita online as part of its devotional resources.
- First-Class Sacred Relic veneration: Mon, Wed, Thu, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, or by appointment
- Six-day votive candles ($10 offering)
- Masses at the St. Josephine Bakhita altar by request
- Litany of St. Josephine Bakhita (weekly, Tuesdays at 6:30 PM)
Other Devotions & Services
Beyond Mass and the Litany to St. Josephine Bakhita, the parish gathers for additional devotional life. The Anointing of the Sick is offered in front of the altar of St. Josephine Bakhita immediately after each Sunday Mass, for those suffering from illness or the effects of aging, and may be repeated as many times as necessary. The community also prays the Holy Rosary (Joyful Mysteries) together remotely each Monday evening at 6:00 PM.
- Anointing of the Sick — after each Sunday Mass
- Monday Rosary (Joyful Mysteries) — 6:00 PM, remotely
- Tuesday Litany of St. Josephine Bakhita — 6:30 PM
Office of Black Catholic Ministry
The parish serves as the home base for the diocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministry, which is led by pastor Fr. Andrew McNair. The Office hosts and live-streams two regular events from St. Josephine Bakhita: a Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life on the 1st Thursday of each month (5:30–6:30 PM, with Confession available during the Holy Hour), and a Holy Mass honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 1st Saturday of each month at 8:30 AM. The Office also partners with the parish for the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mass and other formation events.
- Monthly Holy Hour for Vocations — 1st Thursday, 5:30–6:30 PM (live-streamed; Confession available)
- Monthly 1st Saturday Marian Mass — 8:30 AM (live-streamed)
- Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mass
Outreach: Emergency Food Pantry
Hunger in Phoenix is a daily reality for more than half a million people across the Valley — schoolchildren, working parents, seniors on fixed incomes, and other struggling individuals and families. In response, St. Josephine Bakhita established an Emergency Food Pantry to serve neighbors in need. The pantry has grown into a regular ministry of the parish, with designated 'Food Pantry Sundays' celebrated as a community and ongoing collections to keep its shelves stocked.
- Emergency Food Pantry serving families across the Phoenix Valley
- Food Pantry Sundays celebrated as a community
- Driven by the parish's conviction that 'we refuse to permit Jesus Christ to suffer hunger in our brothers and sisters'
Live-Stream & Online Worship
The parish live-streams its weekly Sunday Gospel Mass at 11:00 AM, allowing those unable to attend in person to remain connected to the community. The Office of Black Catholic Ministry also live-streams its monthly Holy Hour for Vocations and 1st Saturday Marian Mass from the parish. (At the time of writing the parish has noted temporary technical issues with daily Mass live-streaming and is working to restore it.)
- Sunday Gospel Mass live-stream at 11:00 AM
- Monthly Holy Hour for Vocations live-stream (1st Thursday)
- Monthly 1st Saturday Marian Mass live-stream (8:30 AM)
Visit & Contact
St. Josephine Bakhita Mission Parish is located near downtown Phoenix at 809 S. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007. The parish can be reached through its website and its official Facebook page. Those wishing to venerate the relic outside regular hours, light a votive candle, request a Mass at the altar of St. Josephine Bakhita, or arrange a Confession are invited to contact the parish office.
- Address: 809 S. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007
- Website: http://stjbphx.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StJBphx/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Andrew McNair2022–present (administrator 2022; canonically installed pastor Dec. 31, 2023)
First pastor of St. Josephine Bakhita; arrived in the diocese after preaching the MLK Mass years earlier; also leads the diocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministry.