June 17, 2022
Dear Friends in Christ,
Please join me in welcoming Adrienne Curry as the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s new director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries and member of the Journey to Racial Justice Coordinating Council. A Chicago native, Adrienne joins us in July after serving most recently as director of social action for the Diocese of Youngstown in Ohio. She takes over for interim director Sherita Thomas, who will stay on board to guide a seamless transition.
As a scholar of Catholic theology and racism in the Church, Adrienne, in her new role, will advocate for the needs and concerns of the Black Catholic community and work to enhance the efforts of local parishes to eliminate barriers to evangelization, especially barriers of racial prejudice. She will also serve an urgently important role in meeting the charge laid out in my two pastoral letters, “The Enduring Power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Principles of Nonviolence,” and “The Journey to Racial Justice: Repentance, Healing, and Action.”
Adrienne has devoted much of her professional life to the Church – from a focus on justice and peace in Chicago to growing engagement through social action in Youngstown and her ongoing commitment to anti-racism. Her education, experience, and ultimately, her expertise is driven by the
pursuit of human dignity as a cornerstone of Catholic social teaching. Her background will be of great service to our brothers and sisters who find their spiritual home in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
I take this occasion to thank Sherita Thomas most warmly and wholeheartedly for helping to steer the archdiocese in the pursuit of racial justice in all aspects of the Church’s structure and engagement. Sherita has served as interim director since the summer of 2020 while continuing to work as vice president for the global associate experience at T. Rowe Price. The Archdiocese owes Sherita a debt of gratitude for her work to promote and improve dialogue on every level so that we can examine the consequences of the sin of racism and chart a course toward healing and reconciliation. Her efforts have brought lasting impact to the Church in Baltimore and beyond. Sherita will stay aboard with the Archdiocese to serve on special
projects.
As Adrienne re-locates to the area, we trust she will come to love her adopted city for all of Baltimore’s culture, history and charm as much as she does her hometown of Chicago. Please join me in welcoming Adrienne to our team With the assurance of my prayers and with the kindest regards, I remain
Faithfully in Christ,
Most Reverend William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore