The oldest and first Catholic Church for African Americans to reopen. Fr. Gary Chmura is appointed pastor.

St. Adalbert Catholic Church reopens on August 12, 2012

Cleveland, OH, July 21, 2012:  During the downsizing of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland nearly fifty parishes were closed or merged. Among those closed was St. Adalbert/Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament on E. 83^rd St. in Cleveland. St. Adalbert was the church for “colored Catholics” in its early days and remains the primary church for African American Catholics today. St. Adalbert was one of the eleven parishes who won appeals at the Vatican and was ordered to reopen as a parish with a parish school. The re-opening Mass will be on August 12, 2012 at 11am in the church at 2347 E. 83^rd St. Cleveland, 44104 in the heart of the Fairfax neighborhood. Father Gary Chmura, pastor of Our Lady of Peace Church in Cleveland, will be installed as the twelfth pastor of St. Adalbert/Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament on September 23, 2012 at 11am when Bishop Richard Lennon, of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, visits the church.