(11-06-2010) - Over 300 supporters of the mission of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries applauded the three men named as award recipients at the Pierre Toussaint Awards Banquet held at the Farmington Marriott Hotel on Nov. 6th. The banquet is named for Venerable Pierre Toussaint, a Haitian slave who came to New York in 1787, and became known for his generous service to the poor.

Most Reverend Henry J. Mansell presented the awards for outstanding service to Mr. Robert L. Brown of St. Michael Parish, Hartford; Dr. Michael L. Greene of St. Justin Parish, Hartford; and Mr. Christopher J. Doucot.

Robert L. Brown recently retired from the University of Connecticut, where he has been employed since September of 1970. For over sixteen years, Mr. Brown worked closely with students and their parents in the Connecticut Precollegiate Enrichment Program (CONNPEP)/Upward Bound program based out of Storrs, CT and also working out of both Hartford and New Haven high schools.

In January 1987, he transferred to the UCONN Greater Hartford campus and became the program manager of the Student Support Services program which is a program within the Center for Academic Programs.

He is past President of the OBCM Advisory Board and still serves on the Board; he is a past Vice Chairman of the Board of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Office for Catholic Schools; currently a parishioner at St. Michael Church in Hartford, he is Vice President of St. Michael Parish Council, a member of the St. Michael Gospel Choir, a member of the Archdiocesan Gospel Choir, and Treasurer of the Knights of Peter Claver, St. Benedict Council #311. Mr. Brown is presently the Board Secretary of the Klingberg Family Centers, on the Board of Special Olympics Connecticut, and a member of the Connecticut Association of Latin Americans in Higher Education.

Mr. Brown and his wife, Phyllis, a recently retired public school teacher, have been living in Bloomfield, Connecticut for fourteen years. They have two adult children, Sean and Shirene, both living in Greensboro, North Carolina and one grandchild, Dawn.

Dr. Michael Greene is a former member of the first Advisory Board for Office for Black Catholic Ministries serving from November 1999 to spring 2004. He received the Distinguished Services Award from the   Inner City Dental Mission for offering pro bono dental services to the underprivileged across the State of Connecticut. He received the City of Hartford Official Citation Achievement of Recognition. He is a member of the Blue Hills Civic Association and sponsored the Inner City Youth Basketball team.

Dr. Greene graduated from Howard University College of Dentistry in 1985. He frequently speaks to students in city schools on being successful in school and in life and sits on the St. Francis Community Relations Board. He is a long time parishioner at St Justin’s Church where he is a Knight of Columbus and a member of the St. Justin Choir. He is also a cantor for the Archdiocesan Gospel Choir. He and his wife Heather have four children and reside in Windsor, CT.

Christopher J. Doucot is happily married to Jacqueline Allen and the proud father of Micah (17) and Ammon (16). Chris has participated in nonviolent campaigns for peace and human rights in the U.S., Darfur, Palestine/Israel, Iraq, Chiapas Mexico and Bosnia. He is currently teaching Race, Class and Gender and Religion and Nonviolence at Central CT State University.

Photo provided by Office of Black Catholic Ministries.