St. Benedict’s Church, Greensboro

Saint Benedict’s Catholic Church, located in downtown Greensboro, holds the distinction of being the city’s oldest Catholic church and is affectionately known as the “Mother Church” of Greensboro’s Catholic community. Its origins trace back to the 1870s when traveling Benedictine priests from Belmont Abbey celebrated Mass in private homes for a small, scattered Catholic population. The first church, originally named Saint Anne’s, was built in 1877 with its cornerstone laid by Bishop James Gibbons of Richmond. Later renamed Saint Benedict’s in honor of the Benedictine clergy, the original building was sold to the city in 1899 and became Greensboro High School-today’s Grimsley Senior High School.

A new site between North Elm and Smith Streets became home to the present church. The current building, dedicated on October 30, 1899, began as a grand Carpenter Gothic wooden structure nestled among elegant Queen Anne-style homes. Over time, the neighborhood evolved-city trolley lines arrived, single-family residences gave way to apartments and shops-and so did the church’s architecture. In 1918, the wooden façade was reworked with a brick veneer, stone foundations, and Gothic Revival features like pointed arches, stone-capped buttresses, and a crenelated roofline, giving it a sturdier, urban aesthetic that still defines the church today.

Saint Benedict’s played a quiet yet profound role in promoting integration during the segregation era. Saint Katharine Drexel, who was later canonized, donated $1,500 toward the construction of the current building, on the condition that pews be reserved for African-American parishioners-an inclusive gesture that reflected the church’s enduring commitment to community and equality.

Today, Saint Benedict’s continues to serve as a welcoming spiritual home where people gather to worship, celebrate, and support one another. While its Catholic school has since merged with Saint Pius X Catholic School, the church itself remains a symbol of faith, resilience, and unity in the heart of Greensboro.