In the early 1960s, Sarah Walker attended her first Mass at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, a historic and then segregated African-American parish in Tampa.
Walker, who had recently moved to Florida, visited as a non-Catholic pursuing the faith.
St. Peter Claver's congregation embraced her, she says. Members and clergy encouraged her interest in Catholicism until she converted in 1965.
Walker, 74, now works as St. Peter Claver's office secretary, a job she has held since 2000.
The church, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this month, is a second home, Walker says.
"I'm comfortable here," she said. "I love the people. I've always loved the people. It's a family."
St. Peter Claver will celebrate its milestone anniversary with a festival Sept. 8 and a solemn Mass led by Bishop Gregory Parkes Sept. 9. The Mass will also include the formal installation of Reverend Hugh Chikawe, who came to the church in 2007.
"St. Peter Claver has such a rich history, which started with very humble beginnings," Chikawe said. "It began at a time when many African-American Catholic churches did but those churches no longer exist. What's striking is St. Peter Claver is still in existence, surviving and thriving."
The church, which also operates St. Peter Claver School, began as a mission of Sacred Heart Church in 1893. The original meeting place on Morgan Street burned down by an act of arson. St. Peter Claver occupied a corner property on Scott Street before finding funding for its first building in 1915. The current church, a mid-twentieth-century work of stone and glass, opened at 1203 Nebraska Avenue in June 1969.
St. Peter Claver's now inclusive congregation remains dominantly black, including African American, African and Haitian members. Though a few whites and Hispanics do attend. Diversifying takes time, Chikawe said.
But as areas surrounding the church become more diverse, so do the pews.
"The idea of the African-American church is out of date," he said. "We are not African-American Catholics. We are Catholics."
Walker has enjoyed watching the church evolve through the years.
"The faces of the people have changed but the love hasn't," she said. "I thank God for that."
Chikawe said the church and accompanying school strive to better the community. St. Peter Claver school serves 217 students, grades PreK through eight, most of whom come from single-parent households. The children receive breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus. The church also provides meals for them to take home each weekend. Only about 10 percent of the students are Catholics.
"The parents know they are taken care of here," he said. "We are here to help."
Proceeds from St. Peter Claver's anniversary festival will benefit the parish and school. The family-friendly event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 8 at the school, 1401 Governor St., Tampa. The event will include hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and salsa, face painting, games and music. A $5 wrist band is required for food.
An anniversary Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at the church, 1203 Nebraska Ave. A reception will follow at the Boys and Girls Club, 1218 E Kay St. Reception tickets are $35.
For more information, visit spclavertampa.wixsite.com/spcchurch/125th-anniversary.
Contact Sarah Whitman at sarahrothwhitman@gmail.com.