Rev. Stephan Brown, S.V.D.

The first African-American priest ever met by Cleveland native, Stephan Brown, was of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) – an order known for its outreach to African Americans since 1875.  Brown’s admiration for that priest led him to become a Divine Word Missionary too. Ordained in 1993, he has since pastored several Black Catholic parishes. In 2000, he became the first African American pastor of St. Nicholas Church (ironically, established by SVDs for African Americans).  He also pastored St. Rita Parish in Indianapolis, from 2003 to 2007. Since 2017, he has pastored St. Joseph Parish in St. Petersburg, FL (following a decade serving as Assistant to the President at St. Leo University). In 2018, his 25th year of priestly service, he brought together an inter-religious group of ministers, law enforcement, and political leaders in an effort to heal local divisions caused by racism and politics.