The parish known as Holy Comforter-Saint Cprian Roman Catholic Church can trace its beginnings to two distinct churches–Saint Cyprian which was established in 1893 and Holy Comforter which was established in 1904.  Both parishes were merged in 1966 and continues to exist as one parish community serving the Capitol Hill community for over 125 years.

Saint Cyprian Parish was established in 1893 and this year (2018-2019) marks the 125th anniversary of its founding. There are current parishiones who were members of the Saint Cyprian parish before the merger in 1966 and are in attendance at the current merged parish. Their steadfast and enduring faith is one of the motivational factors behind the continual commemoration of the founding of Saint Cyprian.

Saint Cyprian Parish was formed by a group of African-American Catholics who had been meeting at the hall at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill and desired to establish and build a church where black Catholics could worship as a community during a time of racial discrimination and segregation. The pioneering members who used to worship in the hall at Saint Peter’s Church had the courage and vision to eastablish and build the parish of Saint Cyprian which grew into a thriving and extremely active worship community on Capitol HIll. The Saint Cyprian school traces its origins to a time before the founding of the parish back to 1892. The school became a part of the Saint Cyprian Church community in 1894. More on the detailed history of the parish can be found at https://hcscchurch.org/about-2/history-of-parish/.

Throughout the next 12 months, Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian parish will commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the establishment of Saint Cyprian Catholic Church with a variety of activites, seminars and events. Please stay tuned for a calendar of events and activities.

MAJOR EVENTS COMMEMORATING THE 125h ANNIVERSARY of the FOUNDING OF SAINT CYPRIAN CHURCH

• HCSC Annual Parish Picnic – Sat., Sept. 15th – 12noon – Join our parish family for a fun-filled fellowship with food, music, games and fun (click her for flyer and details)
• HCSC Feast Day of Saint Cyprian Celebration – Sun., Sept. 16th – ONE Mass at 10:00am – followed by a lite reception out on the plaza in front of the Church. Join us for Mass celebrating the Feast Day of Saint Cyprian of Carthage along with a special recognition of the 25th Anniversary of the Ordination to the Diaconate for our very own Deacon Ralph Cyrus. Mass is followed by a lite reception. For more information on the life of St. Cyprian of Carthage, visit  https://hcscchurch.org/about-2/history-of-parish/

 

• African American History Month Presentation & Luncheon – February 10, 2019 – 12:30noon – featuring Dr. John T. McGreevy, author of Parish Boundaries which chronicles the history of Catholic parishes in major cities and meld their unique place in the urban landscape to the course of twentieth century American race relations. For more information, visit https://hcscchurch.org/2019/01/aahm-lunch-speaker-2019/.
• Dedication of Memorial Plaque to St. Cyprian’s Founding Pastor Rev. James Matthews – February 2019 – exact date and time to be determined at a later date. Plaque will be installed in the vestibule of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church.
• May Procession from Our Church to the original St. Cyprian Church site – Sun., May 5, 2019 – 10:00am – Join us as we gather at Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in celebration of the Annual May Queen Crowning and process through the neighborhood to the original site where St. Cyprian Church was located. Stay tuned for details
• 125th Anniversary of the first Mass at St. Cyprian Church – May or June 2019 – followed by a parishwide luncheon. Location to be determined. Stay tuned.

OTHER RESOURCES AND HISTORICAL RESOURCES ON SAINT CYPRIAN PARISH

• Did You Know? Historical Facts Series:
  ⇒ Click here for Historical Facts Flyer #1