From the Archives: First Black American Baptized by a Bishop, 1935

Charles Coles stands with Archbishop Walsh on the day of his baptism, September 8, 1935. As the 1000th convert baptized at Queen of Angels parish in Newark, Coles was the first Black person in the history of the American church to be baptized by a bishop.

(Archdiocese of Newark Archives, Parish Records collection)  

Editor’s note: All published archival photos can be found under the “From the archives” tab in the top menu. For more information on the archdiocesan archives, visit rcan.org/archives.