[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E834-E835]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SAINT AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1858-1998

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 12, 1998

       ``The future historian of the Colored Race in America will 
     find interesting and edifying materials for his work in the 
     lives and actions of the important element of Colored 
     Catholics in the Nation's Capital.''
                                              Edmond Mallet, 1882.

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Saint Augustine 
Catholic Church which is celebrating 140 years in the District of 
Columbia.
  Saint Augustine Parish had its origins in the efforts of free blacks 
to obtain dignity and education. The founding of the church resulted 
from the efforts of a number of African-American freed men and women 
who worked with Father Charles I. White to build a school for black 
children. From 1858 until 1863, fund raising and hard work among a 
number of black families contributed the essential elements to found a 
school by 1863.
  A fair held on the grounds of the White House during July, 1865, 
resulted in additional funds and a lot was purchased on 15th Street 
between L and M Streets, NW where a school and chapel were constructed. 
Building efforts continued and with the assistance of every element 
within the rapidly growing ``colored Catholic'' community, vigorous 
efforts were pursued to erect the grand edifice that would be the first 
Saint Augustine's.
  In 1874, materials and labor were donated to build a new church. To 
raise the estimated $75,000, members of the church choir gave

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``operatic representations . . . in the principle cities of the Union'' 
[Thus], ``to the Catholic colored people of Washington belongs the 
honor of having raised the first opera troupe of their race in the 
country, perhaps, in the world.''
  The church was completed and dedicated in 1876. The ceremony was 
attended by many dignitaries including prominent African Americans such 
as Congressmen J.R. Lynch, J.H. Rainey and Robert Smalls. The church 
was considered one of the finest Christian monuments in the Nation's 
Capital. It was admired for its architectural style, its grandeur and 
for its significance as the ``Mother Church for Colored Catholics in 
the Nation's Capital.''
  The church continued expansion and its population grew steadily. By 
1905, its membership was numbered at more than 3,000. The parish 
boundaries were described as covering more than one-half of the city 
since Saint Augustine was the premiere church for the African-American 
Catholic population. Growth was also experienced in the organizations 
and agencies within the church that carried out its religious mission, 
such as Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Knights of Saint 
Augustine, Catholic Beneficial Society (men), Saint Augustine Relief 
Society (women), Juvenile Benefit Society (children 2-20).
  The societies and organizations of the church have changed over the 
years. The location of the church has shifted as growth patterns in the 
city have undergone transition and a number of pastors worked in the 
parish before the arrival of the current pastor, Father John J. Mudd in 
1977. In its 140 years, changes in Saint Augustine Parish have been 
deeply embedded in the traditions and heritage which inspired the first 
``colored Catholics.'' This tradition has been rooted in Christian 
values and social activism. The church and its individual members have 
maintained a strong commitment to assist the needy and oppose 
injustices.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that this body join me in saluting the Saint 
Augustine Catholic Church and celebrating its role in the city's 
history, its present and its future.

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