Associate Director of The African American Africa, & Caribbean Apostolate (AAA&CA) of The Archdiocese of Newark. BA Business Marketing & Management New Jersey City University Certified in Building Cultural Competences & Eucharistic Liturgy at XAVIER UNIVERSITIES Summer Continuing & Education Program

 

Rahsaan’s career of community involvement started before he even realized it. Being a youngster involved in “the Church” meant that you were available whenever you were needed. It just so happened that his family was needed all the time. This involvement turned into 25 years of servicing and uplifting the Black Catholic Communities as well as all communities.

Through his early years of being involved with Jersey City Sports, Rahsaan developed a knack for getting the job done on the field as well as off the field. While playing High school baseball Rahsaan was one of Jersey Cities best baseball players to be selected to represent the United States to Play Baseball abroad, which was what catapulted him into leading the youth and young adults within the community he resides in, into the field of sports. He also attends St. Patrick & Assumption All Saints Parish in Jersey City where he would be one of the Youth &
Young Adult leaders for the parish. Leading the youth into a life commitment with the Lord and helping them understand their journey.

Throughout the years, his passion for serving the Black Communities of youth & young adults became more serious as he got more involved with youth ministry at St. Patrick & assumption all Saints parish in Jersey City. During this tenor as youth ministry leader for St. Patrick’s parish Rahsaan was also the Head Coach for Jackie Robinson Tee Ball Baseball, Head Coach for The Jersey City Giants PAL – 6 years, Hudson County Gators Pop Warner Football- 4 years and the  Athletic Director for the Hudson County Saints of Pop Warner football. All while still being a loving husband, caring father, and a dedicated employee.

Jersey City High School sports is where it started for Rahsaan and not only does he make it his intention to give back, but he also continued this path of service by volunteering for the Archdiocese of Newark AAA&CA Youth & Young Adult Apostolate for 10 years before being asked to become a part time liaison. This choice and career opportunity led to networking and creating relationships that would propel Rahsaan to be steps closer to achieving part of his lifetime goal.

After working part-time for 3 years Rahsaan was offered the Associate Director’s position and because he was sort of doing the job already, he accepted it. He has been the Associated Director for the African American, African & Caribbean Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Newark since November 2019. It was a challenge as all new endeavors are. This was a challenge for Rahsaan as he was not trained in the position and there were behind the scenes logistical things he still needed to learn to be successful. By achieving success, he knew that the success was not for himself, it would be for the youth & young adults and Black Catholic families & parishes he serves under. This idea of creating an environment that would be accessible for Black Catholics and the youth & young adults can have a place to worship, pray and be one with Christ and have some fun as well.

Rahsaan decided, to be successful, why not take advantage of the courses being offered by The Only Black Catholic HBCU in existence, XAVIER UNIVERSITY. This is where all the great stories about Thea Bowman, Catherine Drexel, & Sr. Jamie Phelps and all the great Black Minds that were apart of Black Catholic History was lived out into full existence. While trying to create this environment he attended XAVIER UNIVERSITY for 3 years in the summer, attending there continuing & education summer program where he excelled in his learning. Not only was Rahsaan able to bring back ideas he was ready to put them to work. Some of these ideas are allowing Rahsaan to continue to provide ways to assist HS seniors to college or trade school through the Bishop Francis Scholarship Fund. Which is a way/opportunity to give back to each parish that has youth & young adults interested in continuing their education after High School.

His commitment to serving the Black community has been highlighted as one of the catalysts for social justice. Rahsaan sits on various Social Justice teams for the Archdiocese of Newark, as well as NABCA the National Association for Black Catholic Administrators, adding quality ideas and processes’ that would be developed and implemented to assist within the Black Catholic Communities. Being a member of this organization allows Rahsaan to make sure important decisions that affect your communities are made.

Rahsaan, inspired by the conscience efforts of Bishop Abel Francis’, giving back to the people from the community that look like him and providing the people the assistance with services that are available and are provided, feels like the only right thing to do. Besides evangelizing and supporting the youth & young adults with guidance getting them to understand that having faith in the Lord is important. Receiving Christ in your life is a major part of accepting the idea that putting others first is something that Jesus did, and we should follow his lead.
I just want our people to understand that we as Black Catholics have a responsibility to one another to PROTECT & SERVE!!

 

Protect our right to exist as being Black & Catholic and to Serve one another as we also serve the higher power our Lord & Savor Jesus Christ.