Racism Discussion
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Dear Friends on the Journey,
I am inspired by this prayer written by Jo Cecilio, rector of a women’s hall at the University of Notre Dame:
God of mercy and compassion,
We come before you today in grief, in anger, in mourning over the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell, Sandra Bland, George Floyd and the litany of names of men and women who have died at the hands of those charged to protect and serve. You know each one of them by name, and we know that
each were wonderfully crated in your own image and likeness. Their lives matter to you and to us, and so we ask you, God, to etch their memories forever on our hearts.
Lord, we are tired of the senseless acts of violence, the injustices, the oppression, the racism, and the ignored laments of Black and Brown communities. Hear us, lord. Open the hearts, minds, and ear of all you children to hear and understand the cries of pain, of sadness, of trauma, and of immense loss.
Your Son, Jesus, came to us that we “may have life, and have it abundantly.” May each of us be committed to sharing life and love in our world. May we speak truth to power. May we allow the Spirit to lead us to act for justice. Lord, we invite you to use us so that we might bring about a transformation in our world; a transformation that makes a beloved community real here on this earth.
Amen.
This Sunday night, promptly at 7pm, we will be offering a 75 minute conversation, as a Catholic community, about biases and racism within ourselves, within our Church, within our country. We hope and expect that those who join this Zoom meeting come to speak personally and to listen care-fully. We will have a presentation, after which we will have breakout groups for
conversation, and then back to the large group for summing up and “next steps.”
Topic: Racism Discussion
Time: Jun 28, 2020 07 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91779067545?pwd=TEM2OXpkSDY1RjAvRDAwenBINkhqZz09
Meeting ID: 917 7906 7545
Password: 261614
Two very important items…
About Reentry into Our Chapel (tentatively scheduled for July 18, 5pm; July 19, 10am & 6pm):
This is very important:
We are still in need of hospitality ministers for our Chapel reentry. It is absolutely critical that we have a minimum of three people at each Mass who can assist with welcoming, seating, and directing people into and out of the Chapel. If you are not in a vulnerable group with regard to COVID-19 and are willing and able to assist in this very important ministry, please contact Peter Ghiloni at peter@paulistcenter.org.
Procedures:
1) Here are the expectations and requirements.
2) A wonderful YouTube Video (hats off, in appreciation, to Vincent Rocchio & family and the Hankle/Spicer family): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5A6uzhJH-Y&feature=youtu.be
1) 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 28th, Live Streamed Liturgy/Mass from the Chapel, at 12N:
Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/XDSdlHAKfCE
2) Paulist Center Families Prayer Service, 10 am, Sunday
Please click here to join us: https://zoom.us/j/97252474747?pwd=YktPNzE3ZVNJVEltS3FENHFRSnI4QT09
Meeting ID: 972 5247 4747, Password: 037026, One tap mobile
+16465588656,,97252474747#,,1#,037026# US (New York)
3) All are welcome to a prayer gathering with/from the Paulist Center’s LGBTQ+ prayer next Wednesday, June 24 th , 7pm. The link is for this week: https://tinyurl.com/PCC-LGBTQ-Zoom527. The reflector will be Chris Lawton.
4) Connect for a Chat. Patty Simpson patty@paulistcenter.org will be offering an hour a week for any Paulist Center members who might want to connect. Patty has in mind especially those who aren’t connected into any other small groups. You can join the conversation on Thursday, June 25, 7-8pm through this link. Also if anyone wishes to connect with Patty either on phone or video session, just email her or leave a message on her phone (617.948.2428) and she will get back to you ASAP.
Ways of Giving:
Our “Community Gift” is our tradition of giving away 5% of our weekend offerings, averaged out over the whole year, to a group outside of ourselves. This week, we lift up NETWORK, a recipient of the Hecker Award. Founded by Catholic Sisters in the spirit of Vatican II, NETWORK works to create a society through social policy that promotes justice and the dignity of all in the shared abundance of God’s creation.
We are so very grateful for your support during this time of uncertainly and financial peril. Here are two ways to give:
To make a one-time or recurring donation using your bank account or credit card, click on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/DonatePaulistCenter
Giving by text: Text 844-899-7511 with the amount you would like to donate (whole dollars only). Donations collected this way will be designated as part of the “Weekend Offering.”
An idea: a couple Paulist Center members, receiving the Stimulus Check of $1200 but still being fully employed, gave a half of that check to the Paulist Center Community. What a great idea!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I conclude with the wise words of St. Teresa of Avila:
Nothing can trouble,
nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall
never go wanting.
Nothing can trouble,
nothing can frighten.
God alone fills us.
And let us pray for/with one another.
Michael
Michael McGarry, C.S.P.
Director, the Paulist Center
Along with Patty, Chuck, Susan, Peter, Kristin, Dorothy, Alvaro, Barbara, Rob, and Sal. Please feel free to call upon your Pastoral Ministers if you wish.
I will be sending out something every Thursday or Friday as the “shut down” continues.