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"This book is
full of people."
Morris MacGregor

by Morris MacGregor

Read more about this book

Publication Date: May 1999
Catholic University of America Press

Hardcover $39.95
566 pages

The Emergence of a Black Catholic Community: St. Augustine's in Washington is available at the Saint Augustine Church Bookstore before and after all masses, as well as online through St. Augustine's association with Amazon.com

A paperback edition is available through Amazon for $24.95; however, ship date is four to six weeks, vs. 2 days for hardback.

From Catholic University of America Press:

The Emergence of a Black
Catholic Community:
St. Augustine's in
Washington

"MacGregor's history, thoroughly researched and carefully documented, recounts the history of a black Catholic community from the eve of the Civil War to the present day. Placing this parish within the context of the history of Washington, DC, and most particularly within the context of the African American community, the author masterfully demonstrates how this unique black parish, one of the oldest in the nation, played a pivotal role in the social and religious history of the District of Columbia."

Cyprian Davis, O.S.B.

Cyprian Davis is Professor at Indiana's St. Meinrad School of Theology and the author of The History of Black Catholics in the United States.

"The richness of the experience of black Catholicism in the United States is not lost on anyone who has had the privilege of worshipping, even irregularly, with one of these communities.... Morris J. MacGregor offers a look at one of the nation's

premiere parishes...a history of race relations with religious and social insights. Here is a valuable contribution to American and ecclesiastic history."
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER

Book Description

The Emergence of a Black Catholic Community:
St. Augustine's in Washington by Morris MacGregor

Since the early days of the Republic, Washington has nurtured an increasingly prosperous and articulate community of black Catholics. For much of that time the spiritual welfare of these citizens as well as their material aspirations centered on St. Augustine's parish. From the days of Civil War, through the decades when Jim Crow ruled Washington, to recent times and new challenges for the inner city, black Catholics from all over the area have worshipped regularly at St. Augustine's. Popularly called "The Mother Church of Black Catholics," it provides a beacon of hope for its parishioners, and its history offers a unique lens through which to view the emergence of an important Washington community.

Morris J. MacGregor traces the history of St. Augustine's from its beginning as a modest chapel and school to its recent years as one of the city's most imposing and active churches. For more than a century, the congregation has counted among its members many of the intellectual and social elite of black society as well as impoverished newcomers struggling with the perils of urban life. This socially diverse membership, enhanced by a constant stream of visitors of all races and classes drawn by the beauty of the church and the artistry of its musicians, has made St. Augustine's an exemplar of Christian brotherhood.


Annotated Table of Contents
Every Picture Tells a Story: Photographs from the Book
Coming Soon:
Online Chapter Excerpts List of Illustrations

The book presents in considerable detail the history of race relations in church and state since the founding of the Federal City. Parish lay leaders have long been crusaders in the fight for racial justice; they have played important roles in the Congress of Colored Catholics, the Federation of Colored Catholics, the Catholic Interracial Council, and the NAACP. MacGregor discusses these groups as well as more recent urban institutions such as the vibrant 14th and U Streets Coalition. Because music has played an essential role at St. Augustine's, a sizable appendix is devoted to its history in the parish. The religious, racial, and social insights uncovered in this fascinating history make it a valuable resource for the study of American social and church history.

About the Author

Morris J. MacGregor is the author of several books, including A Parish for the Federal City: St. Patrick's in Washington, 1794-1994 and Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965.

More The Emergence of a Black Catholic Community: St. Augustine's in Washington by Morris MacGregor
	Reviews and Description
	Annotated Table of Contents
	Every Picture Tells a Story: Photographs from the Book
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