For 100 years, St Benedict the Moor has affirmed and welcomed a rich variety of persons, especially the disenfranchised of our society. This welcoming of the unwelcome permeates the diversity of ministries which grew and shifted over the years.
In 1908 St Benedict’s primary purpose was establishing a mission to serve the growing number of African Americans living in Milwaukee. Over our 100 year history, that mission has included a boarding school, a junior and senior high school, a hospital, Community Meals, outreach to the homeless, a health clinic and jail chaplaincy.
The one constant over the years permeating these ministries has been the affirmation given to all the sisters and brothers who gather at what is affectionately called "St. Ben's". People outside the mainstream of society are welcomed daily to find some rest and a little bit of home. The spirit of St. Francis is also at home here.