Father Francis Chiawa gave several children their first communion at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Memphis, Tennessee this week.
This church is the oldest black catholic church in Tennessee and in the days of segregation in the south, this was the church where the “colored” Catholics were allowed to worship. They celebrated their 80th anniversary in 2017.
Memphis is one of the poorest big cities in America. This photo was made in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Memphis.
This story was also picked up and featured by a Dutch weekly Catholic newspaper Katholiek Nieuwsblad, where I spoke with Anton de Wit.
https://cdom.org/st-augustine-confirmation-2019-photos-by-karen-pulfer-focht-photojournalist/