Our legacy parishes of St. Mary and St. Nicholas both had active groups of Black Catholics in their communities, each with its own goals and activities. These two groups are continuing to meet as part of St. John XXIII parish.

Black Catholics Discussion Group

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Shannon Ambroise, M.A.P.S., (right), coordinator of the St. Mary Black Catholics Group, facilitates weekly online discussions on Catholic issues from a Black Catholic perspective. Adults of all races, ethnicities and ages are welcome to join the conversation.

The Discussion Group meets Wednesdays at 2 p.m. via Zoom.

For reading materials and links to the weekly meetings, or for more information, please email Shannon Ambroise at [email protected].

Evanston Area Black Catholics

The members of Evanston Area Black Catholics come together in Christ’s name to build spiritual unity through prayer, fellowship and discussion of our Catholic identity, religious traditions and shared experiences. 

St.Nicholas church hosts a Kwanzaa Celebration each year between Christmas and New Year. Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits”, is an African American celebration of family and community values. We celebrate it at a Saturday evening Mass, followed by a potluck supper. During Lent, Evanston Area Black Catholics host a weekly gathering for prayer and discussion of scripture in preparation for Easter. 

For more information, please contact Yvonne Smith at [email protected].