About Us
Established in 1976, the Office of Black Ministry (OBM) was created to address some of the unique spiritual, cultural and social needs of African American, African, and Caribbean American Catholics, as well as the larger Black Community.
A main componenet of the Office of Black Ministry is the Venerable Pierre Toussaint Guild, which promotes the cause of Pierre Toussaint to sainthood.
The Venerable Pierre Toussaint Scholarship Fund is a program created for the purpose of supporting our young and talented college student leaders from our Archdiocese. The Office of Black Ministry also supports and is committed to the education of the students at College Pierre Toussaint, a secondary school in Sassier, Haiti.
The Black Catholic Community of the Archdiocese of New York
The Black Catholic Community has been an integral part of the Archdiocese of New York for over 200 years. We include priests, deacons, religious brothers & sisters, and lay men and women—married and single. We even include one of the only three congregations of Predominately Black Religious Sisters in the country, the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, with their Motherhouse located in the heart of Harlem. Some of us are native New Yorkers, while others of us have come here from the various parts of the United States, the Caribbean, central & south America, the Continent of Africa, and the rest of the world. We speak various languages including English, French, Creole, Spanish, Akan, Ga, Ewe, Nzema, Portuguese, Igbo, Garifuna, and Tigrinya—to name only a few. We love our God, our Church and our Families. We stand for life and justice, and against violence, racism and all forms of injustice. We value peace, education and, in a very special way, our young and our elderly.
Resources
Here are some recommended information and sites for our visitors.
National Black Catholic Congress – The National Black Catholic Congress, establishing an agenda for the evangelization of African Americans; and to improve the spiritual, mental and physical conditions of African Americans.
National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life – National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life; African American ministry committed to defending human life, from conception to natural death.
Solid Ground Franciscan Ministry – Solid Ground Ministry is a Franciscan Ministry of evangelization and outreach to African American families. The message from Solid Ground Ministry to the Black Community is to choose life and reject all forms of violence.
Catholic Relief Services – Catholic Relief Services [CRS] is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS alleviates suffering and provide assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.