Our History
The history of Our Mother of Mercy of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston began with the arrival of Creoles of French, Spanish and African descent. They were hardworking, resourceful and devoutly Catholic. After the Great Mississippi flood in 1927, many Creoles were left homeless and devastated in Louisiana and relocated in Houston, Texas. They settled in an area bounded by Collingsworth, Russell, Liberty Road and Jensen Drive. The Creole people spoke Creole French and celebrated their Louisiana food, music and culture together in this community. It became known as “French Town”, in the heart of Fifth Ward. The Creoles were skilled or semi-skilled laborers including carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers and mechanics, who found employment at the Englewood Yard with Southern Pacific Railroad or the Houston Ship Channel.
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 Fathers (Priests) knew the importance of a Catholic education and in the fall of 1930 they opened the 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 (Black 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 until the doors closed in 2006.
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, S.S.J., Father Anthony Kiel, S.S.J., Father Charles Tobin, S.S.J., Father John Doyle, S.S.J., Father Henry Harper, S.S.J., Father Henry Dickson, S.S.J., Father Joseph Doyle, S.S.J., Father Charles Moffat, S.S.J., Father Kenneth Howard, S.S.J., Father Roger Caesar, S.S.J., Father Charles (Chuck) Andrus, S.S.J., Father Lowell Case S.S.J.,. Our Current Pastor Father Rodney Armstrong, S.S.J., continues their legacy of faithful service to the parish community.
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 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 additional 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.
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. Our Mother of Mercy Parish has produced outstanding Business/Professionals and Civic Leaders, Educators, Athletes, Entertainers and Politicians. State Representative, Harold Dutton, Esq., The late Congressman Mickey Leland, the late Illinois & Russell Jacquet, the late County Commissioner, El Franco Lee, the late A.M. Wickliff, Esq., and the late Joe Sample, just to list a few.
Our Mother of Mercy Church is “Celebrating over 95+ years of Evangelization and Education as a Beacon of Light in the Heart of Fifth Ward” with over 2300 households as members.
“All Generations Will Call Me Blessed” Luke 1:48