Among Marino’s accomplishments was his announcement as the vicar general of the Josephites, the first Black person to do so. He was also an auxiliary bishop for the Washington archdiocese, just the fourth Black person to have the position at the time. Marino is also the first Black secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. The archbishop candidly discussed race during his rise in the church and was proud to represent Black people who followed the faith.
Scandal visited Marino after it was revealed that he maintained a secret affair with a female lay priest, Vicki Long. Long stated in an interview that the pair were actually married, thus prompting Marino to resign in 1990. Because of his history with the church and the work he performed with troubled priests, Marino maintained his honorable title and moved about the country. He counseled priests who struggled with sexual behavior, mental illness and other issues.
Archbishop Marino passed in July 2000 of a heart attack at the age of 65.
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Little Known Black History Fact: Eugene Antonio Marino was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
