Eugene Antonio Marino

Eugene Antonio Marino, SSJ (May 29, 1934 – November 12, 2000) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Atlanta from 1988 until 1990. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington from 1974 to 1988. He was the first African-American Catholic archbishop in history and the first African-American bishop in Washington. Marino was a member of the Josephites.

Marino resigned as archbishop of Atlanta in 1990, under accusations of having a sexual relationship with a female lay minister. He later worked as a chaplain and counselor in New York until his death in 2000.

Biography

Early life and education Marino was born on May 29, 1934, in Biloxi, Mississippi, the sixth of eight children to Jesús María Marino, a baker, and Lottie Irene Bradford Marino, a maid. He attended parochial schools in Biloxi before joining the Josephites.

Marino attended Epiphany Apostolic College in Baltimore, Maryland, and later earned his master's degree from St. Joseph's Seminary in Washington, D.C.. He also completed a master's degree in religious education at Fordham University in the Bronx.

Priesthood Marino was ordained a priest for the Josephites at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on June 9, 1962, by Bishop Philip Hannan.

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

Auxiliary Bishop of Washington

On July 12, 1974, Marino was named an auxiliary bishop of Washington by Pope Paul VI. Marino was named the secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1985, the first African-American to hold that position. Fordham University in 1986 awarded Marino an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

In 1987, Marino organized a trip for African-American Catholics to see Pope John Paul II. During a talk with these men and women, he stated:

Archbishop of Atlanta John Paul II appointed Marino as the archbishop of Atlanta on March 14, 1988. He was installed on May 5, 1988, becoming the first African-American archbishop. He then underwent a six-week-long period of counseling. Over 25,000 Catholics sent him letters of support in a campaign orchestrated by African-American Catholic leaders.

In August 1990, Vicki Long, a female lay minister, claimed that she and Marino had been engaged in a personal relationship while he was an auxiliary bishop in Washington. She had originally sought counseling with Marino after having a sexual relationship with a priest in Savannah, Georgia. Long said she and Marino exchanged rings in a secret ceremony in 1988.