The office of Black Ministry

MISSION STATEMENT:

The Mission of the Office of Black Ministry is to listen to and promote the aspirations of Black Catholics; to encourage self-reliance, cultural identity, economic self-sufficiency, and spiritual growth; and to work towards the eradication of racism and discrimination, and any and all forms of injustice that may exist within the Church and society.

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 and Sisters and lay men and women - married and single. We also 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 have come here from the various parts of the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, the Continent of Africa and the rest of the world. We speak various languages including English, French, Creole, Spanish, Akan, Ga, Ewe, Nzema, Igbo, Garifuna, and Tigrinya - to name only a few. 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.