About Montgomery, Alabama:
Montgomery, Alabama was founded in 1819 and became the state capital in 1846, additionally serving the first capital of the Confederate States of America in 1861.
In the 20th century Montgomery was a focal point of the Civil Rights Movement, notably with the Montgomery Bus Boycott…..a year-long protest in Montgomery, Alabama, where African Americans refused to ride city buses to challenge segregation. It began on December 5, 1955, after a black woman, Rosa Parks, was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. The boycott, led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., ended on December 20, 1956, when the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional.
At this time, although Catholic churches were not officially segregated, they did give in to the demands of state-sanctioned segregation up to a point. African-American Catholics usually sat in the back of the church and received communion after white parishioners….perhaps not our finest moments; however, you have to consider that having blacks and whites even attending the same church..must less together..was unheard of in protestant churches.
Some dioceses even established separate parishes for black Catholics. While the Church as a whole did not officially endorse the boycott initially, individual Catholics and Catholic organizations played a significant role in supporting the movement and advocating for civil rights.
Overall, while the Catholic Churches in Alabama it should be noted that some, but not all, Catholics actively supported the de-segregation movement, with individual priests, nuns, and laypeople participating in civil rights demonstrations like the Selma march. Black Catholic communities and figures, like Franciscan Sister Mary Antona Ebo, were particularly active in advocating for racial justice.
Catholic places of interest in Montgomery, Alabama:
City of Saint Jude Catholic Parish: founded in the 1930s, the first Roman Catholic church in Montgomery and the second oldest in the Diocese of Mobile. Has an interesting and important connection to the Civil Rights movement.
Holy Spirit Catholic Church: This church provides a prayerful atmosphere and a variety of programs and services.
Our Lady Queen of Mercy Catholic Church
Saint Bede Catholic Church: historic church with unique Catholic store
Traveling to Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham has a regional airport Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport (code BHM). The name “International” is a bit misleading, as there are no international flights to or from Birmingham. International flights usually connect through other major cities.
There is train service to Birmingham. The Birmingham station, located at 1819 Morris Avenue, which serves the Crescent line and connects to cities like New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and New York City.