The century-old, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church sits in the heart of the Sweet Auburn Historic District in downtown Atlanta was swept up in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
Many marches and protests during that time took place outside its front doors.
The church, which is considered the mother church for African American Catholics in the metro area, also had an elementary and middle school on the church property.
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church member Sandra Criddell attended Our Lady of Lourdes’ elementary and middle school.
When Criddell was in High School she attended Drexel Catholic High School which was built for Black high school students during the segregated south.
