Our faith is an important lens through which to analyze the realities of race and white privilege. The Passionist Charism leads us to ponder these "signs of the times" and respond to Christ crucified in our society.
An open letter to George Floyd, Fr. Jim O'Shea Provincial letter about racial justice, Fr. Jim O'Shea See reflections and articles on racial reckoning - Summer and Fall 2020 from vowed and lay members of the Passionist Family including the Passionist Solidarity Network Board and others.
A list of resources compiled by the Ignatian Solidarity Network with a focus on connecting our Faith with learning and struggling with issues of racial justice and white privilege. They are resources from a Catholic, Jesuit perspective. Action Resources for White Faith Leaders from the organization Showing Up for Racial justice Dismantling Racism from the UME Church Resource for hosting a racial justice conversation from Presbyterian Church USA. Other racial justice and anti racism resources are here and here. Image: Catholic Sentinel
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![]() St. Agnes Catholic Community in Louisville has something to say responding to the "signs of the times," specifically about racial justice. With leadership from parishioner Fred Meirose and support from Fr. Justin Nelson, C.P., Pastor and Fr. Febin Barose, C.P. Parochial Vicar, and others, the community compiled this resource with contributions from throughout the parish including K-8 students, parishioners, and staff. It is quite remarkable and a model of how these conversations can be both challenging and inspirational in a mostly white, middle class U.S. Catholic parish. Download the booklet here (ready for printing and and folding 5 1/2 x 8 1/2) or Download a high resolution version here. Fr. Jack Conley CP has been a member of the team that is facilitating the Fall series, Waking Up: Conversations about Race with the Passionist Community. The team, which also includes Lissa Romell and David Horvath, has been using a circle model of conversation, stressing storytelling and deep listening as we describe our own experiences and struggles to move forward. Fr. Jack recently delivered a homily in his community where he "took a chance" to speak of how we can fail to learn when we avert our eyes.
"I am embarrassed — ashamed, to admit that I never heard story (and I grew up in Chicago) (Maybe it was simply succumbing to the temptation to avert one’s eyes) But I never heard the story of Emmett Till until six years ago When Laquan McDonald, 17-year-old African American killed in Chicago on October 20, 2014 While McDonald was slowly walking away the police officer unloaded 16 bullets into the youth, most of them as he lay on the ground We don’t need to demonize, nor bludgeon each other with guilt, but we do need to enter into a crucial conversation, we need to talk about it, because it’s pretty clear we have not talked about racism in the past. Read Fr. Jack's full homily here. Ron Davoran CP, is community leader of the Sydney based community at Marrickville, Australia. Ron took a trip to Ghana in 1999 and to New Orleans in 2018, where he visited sites connected with the slave trade. His writing this history was motivated by the recent wave of ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests that have swept through the USA and have spread throughout the world.
Read the illustrated post here “From a spirit standpoint, folks are kind of beat-down and don’t feel like they can talk to their government or do anything about folks running over them...” ![]() Rev. Ronald C. Smith is the pastor of Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Union Springs, Alabama and is an instructor of forestry and natural resources at Tuskegee University. Smith and his family live near Stone’s Throw Landfill, one of the largest landfills in Alabama that has been expanded several times by taking land from black homeowners whose families have lived in nearby Tallassee for generations. Represented by Earthjustice, Smith and several other residents have filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its backlog; the community has had pending EPA complaints dating as far back as 1994. Motivated by his faith, Smith continues to fight for a clean and healthy environment for his community now and for generations to come. Learn more in this Center for American Progress article entitled “10 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2018” and in this Earthjustice article entitled “Righting Civil Wrongs.” |
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