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Extent:

10.0 linear feet

Abstract:

St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church of Philadelphia fills a unique position in the history of the Catholic Church in America. In 1886, African American Catholics from three local Philadelphia churches, having grown tired of the discrimination they faced at their home churches, united together as the Peter Claver Union with the goal of creating a “Church for Colored Catholics” in Philadelphia. The organization was officially recognized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1889 and found a home for their parish in 1892 in the former Fourth Presbyterian Church located at 12th and Lombard Streets. Due to a perceived lack of continued need for an African American Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia suppressed the parish in 1985. The St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church records house the institutional records of the St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This collection, which dates from 1904 to 2009, with bulk dates of 1980 to 1994,...(see more)

Held at: Temple University Libraries Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection [Contact Us]