Our History

The National Center of the Haitian Apostolate (NCHA) was founded in the later part of the seventies by the Haitian Priests ministering in the USA.  In October 1988, it was officially affiliated to the Office of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees of the US Catholic Bishops’ Conference and incorporated in Albany, NY as a not-for-profit organization.  Its mission is to serve the spiritual needs of a growing Haitian American Catholic community and ensure their smooth and gradual integration into the American Church.  There is an estimated 1,500,000 Haitians in the US, mostly recent immigrants.  Over two third of that number are Catholics, a fact that points Haitians as the largest group of black Catholic immigrants.  As these new Church members settle in many areas of the country, parishes are frequently ill equipped to provide for their spiritual care.  A focused pastoral outreach program became a necessity moment (2007), about 100 parishes throughout the country provide specialized ministry to this important segment of God’s flock.  Fr. Guy Sansaricq was assigned as the first Director of the NCHA.  In 2006, he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.