Organized in 1908 as the first African American Catholic church in both city and the state, St. Benedict the Moor Roman Catholic Church's history is deeply connected to the history of black Milwaukee. In its early years, St. Ben's provided vital social services such as educational opportunities for the Bronzeville neighborhood. But the construction of Interstate 43 literally ripped the parish's campus in two and threatened to shut the church down. But a new community of largely white parishioners came to occupy the church, using it as a home for a community meal program that remains in operation to this day. You can see St. Ben's full history here.
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1946 St. Benedict the Moor High School yearbook page -
St. Ben's Builds its Church -
Construction of I-43 near St. Benedict the Moor -
St. Benedict's Community Meal Annual Report -
St. Ben's Fourth Street Storefront Mission -
Interior of St. Benedict the Moor Roman Catholic Church -
St. Benedict the Moor - Greg Lutz and Jarrod Showalter Roman Catholic Church Gathering Place Report -
The Sounds of St. Ben's Community Meal Program