Eugene Antonio Marino

Eugene Antonio Marino SSJ (May 29, 1934 – November 12, 2000) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia from 1988 until 1990, becoming the first African American archbishop in history. He was of both African American and Puerto Rican descent.

The Most Reverend Eugene Antonio Marino, SSJ
Archbishop emeritus of Atlanta
See	Atlanta
Installed	May 5, 1988
Term ended	July 10, 1990
Predecessor	Thomas Andrew Donnellan
Successor	James Patterson Lyke, OFM
Orders
Ordination	June 9, 1962
Consecration	September 12, 1974
Personal details
Born	May 29, 1934 Biloxi, Mississippi
Died	November 12, 2000 (aged 66) Manhasset, New York
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Washington (1974–88)
Alma mater	Epiphany Apostolic College
Coat of arms

He was also the first African American to become auxiliary bishop for Washington, D.C. and the first to be secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. During his time as archbishop of Atlanta, he helped address the conduct of other priests—until his own illicit relationship with a lay-minister became public knowledge. He soon resigned, later working as a chaplain and counselor until his death in 2000.

Biography

Marino was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, the sixth of a total of eight children to baker and Puerto Rican Jesús María Marino and Lottie Irene Bradford Marino, an African American maid. He attended parochial schools in Biloxi before joining the Josephites. He earned his bachelor's degree from St. Joseph's Seminary College in Washington, DC and completed a master's degree in religious education at Fordham University in The Bronx. He was ordained a priest in 1962.

After ordination, Marino taught religion and physical science at Epiphany College in Newburgh, NY for seven years. He was the spiritual director at St. Joseph's Seminary in Washington, D.C. from 1968 until 1971, when he became vicar general of the Josephites.

From September 12, 1974 until 1988 he was an auxiliary bishop for the Washington archdiocese, the fourth African American ever to hold this position, as well as becoming the secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1985, the first African American to hold that position. In 1987 he organized a trip for a number of African American Catholics to see Pope John Paul II, and during a talk with these men and women, he stated:

Up as a young boy in Mississippi, with the double—I was going to say handicap, but I'll say blessing—of being black and Catholic, I never thought I would see the day when I would be standing here preaching God's holy word in this place, as a priest, indeed as a bishop. Generations of black Catholics never lived to see a black priest or sister, let alone ever dream that their son or daughter might become one.[1]

Marino went on to become the first African American archbishop in American history when he was installed as Archbishop of Atlanta on May 5, 1988, becoming involved in efforts to address the sexual misconduct of priests.

Sexual misconduct

Marino, however, was himself engaged in an affair with a female lay minister during this period, which became public knowledge in 1990. The lay minister, Vicki Long, revealed that she had been secretly married to Marino in 1988.[2]

Following these events, after just two years as archbishop of Atlanta, Marino, who had been in seclusion since June 1, 1990, resigned on 10 July 1990 and cited "spiritual renewal, psychological therapy and medical supervision" as the reason. He then took a six-week-long period of counseling. Retaining his title of archbishop, Marino quietly went to Michigan and took a post as chaplain at the Sisters of Mercy in Alma up until 1995. From this posting until his death in 2000 he worked in a counseling program at St. Vincent's Hospital Westchester in Harrison, New York, counseling on sexual behavior and substance abuse.

Death

On the early morning of November 12, 2000, while ministering at Salesian High School in New Rochelle, NY, acting as a counselor and confidant for the personal problems of fellow priests and nuns, Marino died, aged 66, at the St. Ignatius Retreat House, Manhasset, NY. He was discovered in bed by the housekeeper and it was established that he had died of a heart attack. He was buried in Biloxi, Mississippi. Of his eight siblings, one brother and four sisters survived him.[3]

References

1. Encyclopedia of African American Religions, Garland, 1993
2. Eugene Marino, 1st Black Catholic Archbishop, Dies Of Heart Attack In Atlanta - Woman Claims She Married Archbishop December 4, 2000. Retrieved on April 3 2007
3. Eugene Marino, 1st Black Catholic Archbishop, Dies Of Heart Attack In Atlanta - Obituary December 4, 2000. Retrieved on April 3, 2007