Our Mission

Our Community’s History

The nearest Black Catholic Church, St. Nicholas (the oldest Black Church in Houston) was located in the Third Ward. The three-mile journey to attend mass at St. Nicholas by streetcar or foot, on narrow, unpaved dirt roads, had become a burden. One of the nearest churches within walking distance was a Hispanic Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe on Navigation, where the Creole people were only allowed to sit on the back row and receive communion and attend confession last.

The families of “French Town” began to hold meetings at each others homes to discuss building their own church. The Creoles decided to have fundraisers at their homes, such as house Zydeco dances, selling gumbo, boudain and pralines to raise money to build a church. Additional financing was made available by the Josephite Priests. A donor gave the land on Sumpter Street near the railroad tracks and the Creoles of “French Town” donated their time and talent to build. On Sunday, April 28, 1928, ground was broken for the Little Mission Church, which is now Our Mother of Mercy. The Church was completed in a little over a year and the first mass was celebrated on June 9, 1929 by his Excellency Bishop C.E. Byrne, D.D. of the Galveston Diocese.

Our Mother of Mercy officially became a Parish on June 30, 1930, on Sumpter Street. Father Michael Flaherty was appointed as Pastor and served until 1942. The over 218 founders of the Our Mother of Mercy Parish and the Josephite Priests knew the importance of a Catholic education and in the fall of 1930 they opened Our Mother of Mercy School, offering programs for grades 1-12 and students paid ten cents a week to attend. The school was staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family (African American Nuns of New Orleans). In addition to their regular weekly class time, they conducted home school for those students unable to attend regular school and tutored students on Saturdays. Over 25,000 students attended the school since opening its doors 74 years ago.

The Josephite Priests served the parish and assisted the founders with their many obstacles, blatant racism, bigotry and to overcome a language barrier. Previous Pastors have been Father Joseph Lally, Father Anthony Kiel, Father Charles Tobin, Father John Doyle, Father Henry Harper, Father Henry Dickson, Father Joseph Doyle, Father Charles Moffat, Father Kenneth Howard, Father Roger Caesar, Father Charles (Chuck) Andrus. Our Current Pastor is Father Lowell Case.

In 1965, the Parish established a Credit Union to fulfill the financial needs of the parishioners. Today the Credit Union has assets of over three million dollars and is the state's largest church affiliate credit union. The year 1966 marked an international recognition at Our Mother of Mercy Church. Pope Paul VI honored the Parish by conferring the high honor of Knighthood of the order of St. Gregory the Great to the late Leonard Llorens, Sr. for outstanding achievement in his parish work. He was the first Black man to be honored by the Pope. Three years later three other laymen were honored, the late Charles Broussard, Lee Andress and John Clouser.

In addition to Praise and Worship, Our Mother of Mercy has founded over forty-five ministries and programs that serve the needs of children, youth, adults, the elderly and the disadvantaged in the Fifth Ward. One such ministry is St. Vincent de Paul Society, with its food pantry.

Our Mother of Mercy Church is also home to the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver, Council and Court #72, the largest Black Catholic Fraternal organization in the United States. The Parish has several fundraisers throughout the year, Annual Fall Bazaar, Festivals, Joe Bourgeoius Golf Tournament and an Annual Family Picnic dedicated to the memory of a long-term member, Cleveland Glenn, to fund the school. Our Mother of Mercy helps in the continuation of the Cultural Heritage and tradition of Zydeco music by fostering family/community dances three times a year.

The Our Mother of Mercy Parish has produced outstanding Business/Professionals and Civic Leaders, Educators, Athletes, Entertainers and Politicians. The late Congressman Mickey Leland and the late Illinois Russell Jacquet; El Franco Lee, County Commissioner; Harold Dutton, Esq., State Representative; A.M. Wickliff, Esq.; Joe Sample, just to list a few.

Our Mother of Mercy Church is “Celebrating over 75 years of Evangelization and Education as a Beacon of Light in the Heart of Fifth Ward” with over 2300 households as members.