About St. Peter Claver · Macon, Georgia
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church is a multicultural Roman Catholic parish in Macon, Georgia, serving the Pleasant Hill neighborhood and beyond since 1888. Founded as an African American mission parish by the Jesuits of St. Stanislaus College, the parish moved to its current location on Ward Street in 1913 and is recognized as a historic landmark in the state of Georgia. Today the parish celebrates Mass in English and Spanish, operates a parish school rooted in the vision of St. Katharine Drexel, and runs multiple outreach ministries including a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and the Macon Area Catholics (MAC) Weekend Meals team.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Peter Claver (Jesuit saint, patron of African Americans and ministry to enslaved people)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Deanery: Macon)
Why belong here
St. Peter Claver is one of the oldest historically Black Catholic parishes in Georgia, founded by Jesuits in 1888 and integrated from the start, which gives it a distinctive voice in central Georgia Catholicism. Parishioners today worship in both English and Spanish at a tight weekly schedule of four Sunday Masses plus daily Mass in the Convent Chapel. The parish also operates a parish school and runs tangible outreach — a St. Vincent de Paul food pantry that distributes turkeys and produce to hundreds of families at the holidays, the Macon Area Catholics (MAC) Weekend Meals team feeding the poor and homeless in downtown Macon, an annual Daybreak Sleepout fundraiser, and a CCD/RCIA faith formation program — giving members concrete ways to live their faith alongside their neighbors in Pleasant Hill.
Mass times at St. Peter Claver
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM (in the Church)
About St. Peter Claver Catholic Church
St. Peter Claver Catholic Church is a multicultural parish 'graced with the gift of God's presence,' with a mission to nourish faith through God's Word and the Eucharist, to be a credible witness of God's presence in the world, and to walk together as companions on the journey of faith. The parish frames itself as a community where every member matters — 'no one just adds up to the number, but everyone is important.' Located at 131 Ward Street in Macon, Georgia, the parish has been rooted in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood since 1913 and is part of the Diocese of Savannah's Macon Deanery.
- Parish Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
History
St. Peter Claver was founded in 1888 by the Jesuits of St. Stanislaus College on Pio Nono Avenue as a mission parish for African American Catholics in Macon. Mother St. Katharine Drexel personally funded the parish school in 1903–1904 and later sent her own Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to administer it. The parish relocated to Ward Street in 1913 and, unusually for the South, has remained racially integrated ever since. The Diocese of Savannah today describes St. Peter Claver as a historic landmark in the state of Georgia.
- 1888: Founded as a Jesuit African American mission parish
- 1903–1904: School opens with funding from St. Katharine Drexel
- 1913: Parish relocates to 131 Ward Street
- 1914: Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament take over the school
- 1999: Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul begin administering the school
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children in preschool through 8th grade attend Religious Education (CCD) classes on Sunday mornings from September through May. Children must attend CCD regularly from the start of the year in order to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation; registration is held in August each year, and volunteer teacher aides are needed.
- CCD for Pre-K through 8th Grade
- Sacramental prep: Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Registration in August each year
RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
The parish offers the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults for non-Catholics interested in becoming Catholic, for baptized Catholics who have not yet received First Communion and/or Confirmation, and for fully initiated Catholic adults who wish to deepen their understanding of the faith. Interested adults are invited to call the parish office to register.
- For inquirers, unbaptized adults, and Catholics needing First Communion/Confirmation
Outreach & Charity — Weekend Meals Ministry (MAC Team)
St. Peter Claver participates in downtown Macon's Weekend Meals Ministry alongside neighboring Catholic parishes St. Joseph and Holy Spirit. The three parishes together form the MAC (Macon Area Catholics) team, which has more than 50 dedicated members and works six weekends a year preparing and serving free lunches to low-income, poor, and homeless guests at the renovated Chapel of historic Christ Episcopal Church on Walnut Street. The original ministry was founded by Christ Episcopal Church and is funded and coordinated there; the MAC team supplements the dry and canned goods with fresh fruits and vegetables. Across all teams, more than 10,400 meals were served in one recent year. Work hours are Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, and parishioners may choose Saturday only, Sunday only, or be placed on a substitute list. Contact: Juan Bravo.
- MAC team works 6 weekends per year
- Volunteers may serve Saturday, Sunday, or both
- Meals served at historic Christ Episcopal Church, downtown Macon
Outreach & Charity — St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Peter Claver has been distributing food to neighbors since 2016. What began with about 30 walk-ups twice a month in the parish social hall has grown dramatically; in a recent pre-Thanksgiving giveaway, more than 600 families received turkeys, fresh produce, and side items. Macon-Bibb County has supported the pantry as part of a $150,000 grant distributed among 11 local organizations, and volunteers have included the Mercer University Softball team. The pantry especially emphasizes supplementing canned staples with fresh, healthy produce.
- Twice-monthly food distribution in the parish social hall
- Annual holiday turkey and produce giveaway serving 600+ families
- Volunteers and donations welcomed via [email protected]
Outreach & Charity — Daybreak Sleepout Annual Fundraiser
Daybreak Sleepout is the parish's signature annual fundraiser supporting local ministries serving those experiencing homelessness and hunger in the Macon community. (Specific event details are posted on the parish website each year.)
- Annual parish fundraiser for Daybreak / Macon-area homelessness ministries
St. Peter Claver Catholic School
St. Peter Claver Catholic School was founded in 1903 with the personal involvement and philanthropy of St. Katharine Drexel, who worked with Bishop Keiley to open the school alongside the parish. The school originally opened on Pio Nono in 1904 under two Mercy Sisters, was later turned over to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (Drexel's own community), and since 1999 has been administered by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Today the school serves Pre-K 3 through 8th grade at 133 Ward Street, Macon, and shares a faith-based educational mission with the parish. Current principal is Sister Cheryl Ann Hillig, DC.
- Founded 1903 by St. Katharine Drexel
- Since 1999 administered by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul
- Pre-K 3 through 8th Grade
- Located at 133 Ward Street, Macon, GA 31204
- Phone: 478-743-3985
- School website: http://www.spccatholicschool.org/
Contact & Visiting
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Peter Claver by phone at (478) 743-1454 during office hours (Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM). The parish offices are at the same address as the church.
- Address: 131 Ward Street, Macon, GA 31204
- Phone: (478) 743-1454