Venerable Mother Mary Lange

1784-1882

Artwork courtesy of the National Black Catholic Congress

Life and Witness to Racial Justice:

Born in Santiago de Cuba, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, OSP, migrated to Baltimore during a time of deep racial exclusion and educational neglect. In a city where no public schools existed for Black children, she responded with bold faith and love—opening a school in her own home to educate African American youth, whose dignity and potential were denied by society.

Her ministry was not merely charitable—it was an act of justice. Later, she was approached by Father James Hector Joubert, SS, who recognized the need for a religious congregation that would serve and uplift Black women. At the time, no existing religious orders would accept women of African descent.

In a courageous and countercultural move, Mother Lange and a group of Black women professed religious vows and founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence—the first Catholic religious order for women of African heritage in the United States. Their mission was clear: to educate and empower children of color and the poor, and to embody the Gospel in a world that refused to see Christ in Black bodies.

Mother Lange’s legacy is one that continues to live on in the students who have received an education from St. Frances Academy. She confronted racism not with bitterness, but with just institution-building, spiritual leadership, and unwavering commitment to the marginalized. Her life calls the Church to deeper reconciliation, and her witness continues to inspire movements for justice, inclusion, and healing.