Reference

The Civil Rights Legacy of Mathew Ahmann ’52 — Advancing Saint John's Today, on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we reflect on his work and dedication and that of Saint John’s University graduate Mathew Ahmann ’52, an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement. Mathew Ahmann, serving as a field representative for the Catholic Interracial Council (CIC) in Chicago at the time, watched the growing civil rights movement and thought the the Catholic Church could—and should—help. “Matt’s work brought the Catholic Church out of its shell on civil rights issues,” said Jerry Ernst, who worked for the NCCIJ and later worked with Ahmann at Catholic Charities USA.

In Chicago, Mathew Ahmann, executive director of the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice, sprang into action, calling priests sympathetic to civil rights. "Put on your clericals ...

It was precisely to accomplish these changes through popular participation, ecumenical involvement, organizational supports, and direct action that local Catholic Interracial Councils had established a National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice. 22 Close Whether Ahmann realized it or not, he was here identifying the work of the NCCIJ ...