ROSEDALE — Black History Month honors the legacy of black excellence and the leaders shaping communities today. In the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns uplifts black Catholic voices, celebrates cultural heritage, and serves the spiritual and social needs of parishioners across Brooklyn and Queens. These are some of the individuals who make up the vicariate. Together, these dedicated leaders each bring their own experiences and unwavering commitment to nurturing faith, celebrating culture, and strengthening community across the diocese.
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Father Alonzo Cox, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant, was appointed vicar for the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns in 2021. Since then, he has led efforts to unite black Catholics across the Diocese of Brooklyn through various events and initiatives, and has also worked to bring more black Catholics to Mass.
He said one of his most notable accomplishments was inviting Cardinal Wilton Gregory, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Washington, and the first black cardinal in the U.S., to celebrate the diocese’s Black History Month Mass in 2022.
“It was a great success,” Father Cox said. “We had a full church, a couple hundred people, and to have the first black cardinal in the United States come and celebrate Mass here in Brooklyn was very meaningful.”
For 17 years, Father Dwayne Davis has been the project director of the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns Youth Leadership Ambassador Program.
As project director, Father Davis organizes summer missionary retreats for the youth ambassadors to support parishes, schools, orphanages, and soup kitchens worldwide. He also leads workshops on black Catholic history and mentorship programs empowering Catholic teenagers throughout Brooklyn and Queens.
As a seminarian and a priest, Father Davis led the Diocese of Brooklyn’s annual Kujenga for 10 years. He said his Kujenga experiences led him to create the ambassador program to create a space for the youth to grow their faith.
“The most fulfilling part for me is to see the transformation that happens in our young people,” Father Davis said. “And being around for 17 years, we’ve seen some of them go on to college, get big jobs, and get married.”
Joseph Murray joined the vicariate in 2021 and currently serves as the administrative assistant.
In this role, he helps coordinate events, manage communications, and support the vicariate’s daily operations. He said the position is “educational.”
“I am Afro-Columbian and was adopted and raised by Irish Catholics in our diocese,” Murray said. “And to be immersed into this community, to actually have a much fuller understanding of the diversity that exists with the black Catholic community in Brooklyn and Queens, has been extremely eye-opening and very educating and affirming about the importance of what we do.”
For nearly four years, Deacon Rachid Murad, who serves St. Martin de Porres Parish, has worked closely with Father Cox as a volunteer for the vicariate. He said his focus is on addressing reasons black Catholics leave the faith for other Christian denominations.
“For me, it’s very concerning,” Deacon Murad said, noting the importance of “bringing people back to the faith.”
Michele Guerrier has been serving the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns as an apostolate liaison for almost 4 years. She said the position allows her to help foster a community in the diocese.
“I’m involved in many different things in the Church. I like to know [what’s going on] and I like to be a voice,” she said. “If I can make life for us as black Catholics better in the Church, then that is why I do the things that I do.”
In her role, Guerrier works with coordinators from other apostolates in the diocese, including the Ghanaian, Nigerian, and Haitian Apostolates, to share information and extend invitations to vicariate-sponsored events and Masses.
She also represents the vicariate at apostolate events.
