St. Benedict The Moor Church To Become 'Personal Parish' For Black Catholic Community

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- St. Benedict the Moor Church in Pittsburgh's Hill District is set to become the personal parish for the Black Catholic community.

Bishop David Zubik will hold Sunday's morning mass there.

The bishop says it's the church's way of addressing the spiritual needs of Black parishioners.

According to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, a 'personal parish' is one that 'responds to the specific spiritual needs often related to a particular culture or an extraordinary need.

Anyone who wants to be part of their Catholic community is welcome.

"It's a critical time and I hope this is a time when we all really do need to root out racism, which is a sin. I'm not sure in the past we have come to a point to be able to empathize with our Black sisters and brothers," Bishop Zubik said.

St. Benedict the Moor sits next to Freedom Corner, a civil rights landmark in the Hill District.