Catholic Negro-American Mission Board

The Catholic Negro-American Mission Board has been a U.S. Roman Catholic institution that raises funds and supports mission work in among African Americans.

History

In 1905, the Catholic archbishops of the United States determined that the needs for Catholic mission work in the black community exceeded the funding available from the annual appeal administered by the Commission for the Catholic Missions among the Colored People and the Indians. To create a second funding stream, the archbishops called for the establishment of the Catholic Board, which they incorporated in 1907 with Fr. John E. Burke as executive director in New York City.^[1]

Since its founding, the Catholic Board has supported hundreds of priests and women religious who served Black parishes and schools throughout the United States, and in so doing, it also endorsed efforts to address Black social concerns as well.^[2] The Catholic Board was renamed in 1970, and it joined the Black and Indian Mission office a decade later.^[1]

Executive directors

• Father John E. Burke (1907–1925)
• Father Edward C. Kramer (1925–1962)
• Father Benjamin M. Horton (1962–1980); member, Josephite Fathers
• Monsignor Paul Lenz (1980–2007)
• Father Wayne Paysse (2007–)

See also

• Marquette University Special Collections and University Archives

References

External links

• Black and Indian Mission office