Historic Catholic parish in Alabama marks 100 years with ecumenical tent revival

A historic Catholic parish established in 1926 is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary on Oct. 18. Our Mother of Mercy Parish in Plateau, Alabama, has been serving the Catholic community in Africatown since its founding.

Africatown is a historic community located just north of Mobile, Alabama, founded by West African survivors of the Clotilda — the last known slave ship to illegally transport captive people to the United States. While Africatown is known for its major Baptist landmarks, the different denominations located in the area came together for an ecumenical event Sept. 22–24.

As part of the celebration leading up to the 100th anniversary — which will include a special Mass, music, food, and fellowship — the Archdiocese of Mobile hosted a tent revival in collaboration with all the churches of Africatown. The theme’s revival was “Be Made Whole.”

Father Victor Ingalls is the pastor of seven parishes in the Archdiocese of Mobile, a majority of which are historically Black Catholic churches, as well as one Hispanic church and another Native American church.

Ingalls explained in an interview with EWTN News that the Black Catholic community has a long tradition of…