St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was first organized in 1908, making it one of the oldest African American Catholic churches in Montgomery, Alabama. The Spanish Mission-style church that stands today was constructed in 1915 and continued to serve the congregants until the construction of its new building in the latter part of the twentieth century.

St. John the Baptist Church, also called St. John the Baptist Catholic Mission Chapel in earlier years, was established in 1908 in Montgomery. The St. Joseph Society, an organization that worked exclusively with African Americans, organized the church. The Archdiocese of Mobile supervised and administered the church as well as other parishes in the lower counties of Alabama. Reverend D.J. Rice served as the priest of the church from its conception until 1918.[1]

The congregation of St. John the Baptist received a new home in 1914 upon the completion of a new $15,000 building. The building offered a classic example of Spanish Mission Revival architecture. On May 3, 1914, congregants and community members gathered at the new church to witness a dedication service.[3] 

The church broke ground for a new convent. The $7,000 two-story building (you can see the building on the left of the church) housed nuns from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. The sisters of the order took over instruction at the St. John the Baptist parochial school. St. John the Baptist provided African American Catholics a place of worship where they attended Holy Mass on Fridays, received holy communion, and participated in Catholic feasts and holy days. Around the early 1910s, St. John founded a parochial school for local African American children. The church offered educational instruction from the first to the eighth grade. By the 1950s, St. John also operated a high school. The second floor of the church had four classrooms and the first grade was taught on the ground level.[4]

During the 1950s and 1960s, the church was home to several local activists such as Dr. Richard Harris and Georgia Theresa Gilmore. Georgia Gilmore was a graduate of St. John the Baptist parochial school. Many members of St. John participated in the mass meetings held by the MIA and contributed to the success of the thirteen-month protest.[5]

For years, the church enjoyed a large congregation and held many ministries. In 1991, the church ran a soup kitchen that served the surrounding community. The church also orchestrated shoes, clothing, and blanket donations to serve those in need. Today, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church continues to operate and hosts afternoon mass on Sundays.[6]

[1] “Rev D.J. Rice is Transferred to Mobile Church.” The Montgomery Times (Montgomery, AL), 31 Jan 1918; “History of the Archdiocese of Mobile,” Mobarch.org, Archdiocese of Mobile, https://mobarch.org/history.

[2] Karren Pell and Carole King, Classic Restaurants of Montgomery (Charleston, SC: American Palate, 2020), 90.

[3] "St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Dedication Sunday by Bishop Allen." The Montgomery Times (Montgomery, AL), 2 May 1914; “Mission Revival Style 1890s-1920s,” NPS.gov, National Park Service, 15 Aug 2019, https://www.nps.gov/articles/mission-revival-architecture.htm.

[4] “Closing Ebercises [sic] Held By Catholic Institution.” The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL), 7 June 1913; Valda Montgomery. Interview by Sylvia Marshall. 21 February 2022; "Ground Is Broken for New Convent." The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL), 4 July 1917.

[5] Interview with Georgia Gilmore, conducted by Blackside, Inc. on February 17, 1986, for Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years (1954-1965). Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection; Vernon Jarrett, “Their Jobs Were on the Line: ‘Nobodies’ Paid Boycott's Way.” Chicago Tribune Press (Chicago, IL), 4 December 1975.

[6] “Ministries Adjust To Fill Many Needs.” The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, AL), 15 Feb 1997.