IPS students and Professor Deb Watson during the workshop
IPS students gathered on November 15th at the Chicago Center for Family Health to attend a workshop titled Integrating Spirituality in Clinical Practice with Presenter Dr. Froma Walsh. Her approach addresses developmental, systemic, cultural, and spiritual influences in suffering, healing, and resilience.
Here is what Kathie Smith (pastoral counseling student) said about it: “Attending DR. Froma Walsh’s workshop on Integrating the Spiritual Dimension in clinical Practice: Suffering, Healing, and Resilience nurtured my learning cognitively, emotionally and spiritually. For my intended work in Pastoral Counseling, it is critical that I learn how to approach spirituality for wholeness in a client. Dr. Walsh’s content was deep and relevant. Her technique for sitting with clients to learn, ask and explore rather than assume will stay with me as I go on to practice. Because I believe in the pastoralness of practice, it doesn’t mean that a client will. I will need to be gentle, to seek and connect with where a client is in unfolding what they believe. Of note was her comment on understanding that a client could have a fear of going to a pastoral counselor because they may feel shame or guilt for not “practicing” and yet, to their surprise it can be revealed that their prayers in time of crisis are key to their connection and healing. Finally, I was introduced to new concepts of trauma and of creating resilience. To work through the key concepts of recovery from crisis, navigate disruptive life transitions, cope with multiple stresses and overcome the barriers to thrive with a client with respect and unfolding were insightful and supportive structures to build upon for my work. I would highly recommend reading, listening and attending further workshops with Dr. Walsh. There is so much more to discover and learn.”
11-26-2019|Comments Off on Students attended a workshop on spirituality in clinical practice
Last week, Assistant Dean for Continuing Education Mariana Miller, Interim Dean Peter Jones, and Assistant Professor Mike Canaris hosted the IPS annual “Breakfast With The Bishops” during their national meetings at the USCCB November General Assembly. As in past years, the breakfast was a chance to have an extended and intimate conversation about current and future IPS priorities, and where our mission of forming professional ministers, social justice advocates, and persons for others can best align with needs and challenges on the ground. To do this effectively, both institutes of academic formation and credentialing, and institutional representatives of ecclesial leadership need open and frank conversations. This is one small element in remaining committed to exactly this exchange. It also allows IPS community members to meet with former colleagues and graduates serving in various capacities around the country. Emily Kane, the current assistant director for social justice at Loyola University Maryland joined our faculty and staff this year to share her experiences and values with the participating bishops. She told us the experience was valuable and enjoyable.
“I appreciated having the space within the USCCB conference to engage with bishops about the intersection of their work and the work of IPS. Particularly as a woman within the Catholic Church, it felt significant to be able to share my experience directly with those who are a part of making formative decisions about the direction of the Church. It was also fascinating to see the perceived needs of the Church from both a clergy and lay perspective, and to brainstorm collaboratively about how IPS can play a role in formation both locally in Chicago, as well as globally.”
11-18-2019|Comments Off on Breakfast With The Bishops
They say without a vision, the people might perish. Make no mistake, John Fontana has a vision.
Back in May of 2018, I sat down with John to do a long interview for my radio show, Things Not Seen, which airs weekly here in Chicago.
He was telling me about a new program he was developing in conjunction with the Institute of Pastoral Studies, called the Ignatian Legacy Fellows–which aims to completely redefine how C-suite executives think about retirement.
“Members of the baby boom generation everyday are passing into what we would consider to be retirement age,” Fontana said. “It’s an untapped resource of capital certainly, but it’s also an untapped resource of wisdom and experience. And if we do what we normally do with retirees, which is just a kind of shoo them away in our society, we’re going to lose all of that.”
With this, he breaks into a big smile. “The Ignatian Legacy Fellows Program is an attempt to capture that.”
Fontana himself is a businessman and a pastoral theologian. He attributes the grounding of his successful career to an Ignatian retreat he took when he was 23 years old. That experience shaped the way he thought about not only his career, but also about every facet of his life.
“So for me, the movement of God that I’m able to see in the workplace, and in my family life, is what sustains me as a human being and also has me participating in the vocational mission to be able to build the kingdom,” Fontana said.
When we spoke last year, Fontana and his co-director, Mariann Salisbury, at the Ignatian Legacy Fellows Program were in the midst of recruiting their first cohort of a couple dozen retired executives to commit to a year of travel and engagement to explore Jesuit universities and missions around the world, to grow in solidarity, and to deepen their faith in the service of others.
Now, a few weeks ago this past September, the cohort began their pilgrimage. They kicked things off with a week here at Loyola, meeting with students and faculty, and doing a deep study in the Ignatian spiritual exercises, engaging the Stritch School of Medicine, the Institute for Environmental Sustainability, the Hank Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage, the Institute of Pastoral Studies, the Jesuit high schools and Arrupe Program. They also engaged Matt Malone, SJ, Editor of America magazine.
Over the coming year, they will spend a week every other month in a new location. Their next stop will be the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, located in Berkeley, California, as well as the Ricci Center at the University of San Francisco, and Santa Clara University’s centers of learning, where they will explore the social ethics of entrepreneurship and business.
Their travels will continue with a trip to explore the Church’s missions to the poor in Lima, Peru. Thereafter, the cohort heads to Boston College and to Georgetown University. “Then we will culminate the year-long journey as we go to Spain as our pilgrimage continues and really get caught up in the spirit of Ignatius,” Fontana said. After Spain, the journey will conclude in Rome in September 2020.
The challenge for Fontana and the Ignatian Legacy Fellows’ leadership team is to shift the paradigm on aging from vulnerability to wisdom. They will utilize the life stories of each member of the cohort to hone reflective skills for adaptive leadership. Executives transitioning into retirement are thought to have “made it,” but they face profound questions about their role in the world, the meaning of their work, and their legacy.
The hope is that the program will set the tone and open up serious spiritual possibilities for these executives as they enter the “third chapter” of their earthly journeys. Fontana hopes that this will also translate into an awakened sense of stewardship for institutions that provide religious and theological education.
“What’s interesting is these days a lot of money is going toward business schools or medical schools or engineering and STEM programs,” Fontana continues.
“Theologians don’t make a lot of money. The people who train in pastoral ministry don’t get rich, so that the resources are not coming into those places of higher education right now. As a result, the study of theology is undervalued.”
The program will leverage the strengths of each host institution, situating the learning cohort in a contextual environment that brings their theological studies to life. In each location, these higher questions will be grounded in the real-world issues of poverty, justice, and inequalities of access that face communities around the globe.
“This program is about supporting theological education,” says Fontana, “because if you don’t have that, you’re going to have a tough time on values and ethical decision making in your business life or your family life. . . and the Jesuit tradition is grounded in the liberal arts; without that grounding, the Jesuit schools don’t have a reason for being.”
They say, without a vision, the people might perish.
Make no mistake, the Ignatian Legacy Fellows cohort is living the vision and making it happen.
The Institute of Pastoral
Studies, Loyola University Chicago, would like to honor Bob Ludwig, IPS Director
(2004-2012), and thank him for all he has done for our institute. We thought
the best way to do this was to hear from those who know him and his work.
Peter Gilmour, IPS Professor Emeritus, reminded us “that when Bob Ludwig came as Director of the Institute of Pastoral Studies, it was his second incarnation at IPS. In the ‘70s and ‘80s when IPS had a large summer program, Bob taught courses for many summers and, for a few years, during the academic year as well. Even then he was instrumental in shaping the curriculum and fostering a deep and abiding sense of community among all IPS participants, faculty, staff, and students. “
Peter and Bill Schmidt, IPS Professor,
pointed out Bob’s help in the development of “two strong and vital new degrees,
the M.A. in Social Justice,
and the M.A. in Christian
Spirituality.” As well as the fact that Bob “was a pioneer in
developing online education at IPS. At a time when many administrators
and faculty looked askance at online courses and degrees, Bob read the future
accurately and moved ahead bringing the IPS charism for pastoral education to
many students who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to be students
at IPS.” Both agree Bob and IPS were ahead of the curve.
There is a lot to be said about Bob Ludwig
on a personal level. Robert O`Gorman, IPS Professor
Emeritus, shared a few images he has of Bob:
Energizer Bunny: Bob and I are close in age. When the IPS director position opened up and Bob applied I was reluctant because I felt we needed new young leadership – – I know I felt tired. Immediately he brought energy to the position with a whole new look at what this 50-year-old Institute could do. The new programs and initiatives that took my breath away.
Prophet: justice became the purpose of ministry under Bob at IPS. If a program did not engage Scripture and theology to establish a kingdom of justice and loving right relationship it needed correction to be part of Loyola’s IPS.
Late-night talk show host: at times when I was in the office before Bob in a morning – usually to meet some deadline that was looming – Bob would burst in and say “How about dem Bears last night!” and then whatever I was doing to meet the deadline would simply be laid aside and a running commentary would begin that would attract everybody to hilarious laughter. But it oriented the day for us – IPS was a friendly happy place to be. In addition to a kingdom of justice, Bob brought a vision of a kingdom of laughter.
A teaching addict: “Hello, my name’s Bob Ludwig and I’m addicted to teaching.” Most of us, especially myself, would guard time for work by fending off any request beyond contract limits for extra teaching. Not Bob! As Director his teaching load technically was less than the ordinary professor – but Bob always taught more than most of us. If one of us would be out for some kind of an emergency Bob would take the class. Students were satiated by this teaching. Often times philosophers of education divide teaching into an emphasis in one of 3 realms – the content, the context (concern for society) or the development of the person. Bob had one focus for teaching – all 3 of these divisions!
Cigar chomping director: From its beginning in 1964 IPS had an on–the–fringe position in the constellation of Loyola University’s departments. It was named an Institute, not a department. In the years before Bob, directors generally spoke softly and didn’t carry a big stick in University meetings. Not so when Bob came on the scene. So totally committed to and confident in the mission of IPS and so personally competent as an educational leader, Bob (and IPS) assumed and was afforded a major leadership role in the University. Under Bob IPS and its faculty began to have a hand in shaping and developing the mission of the University.
“Bob brought a relational style to IPS. Bob’s natural friendliness, warmth, and humanity, made him a beloved teacher and colleague. Between his ready-at-hand unlit cigar, and his ready humor, working with Bob was never tedious. ‘Never take yourself too seriously’ is a life stance I observed in Bob. Yet in his own relaxed way, he got important things done. It was a privilege to work with Bob in his abiding commitment to embrace the breadth of the IPS vision.” – Schmidt
“Looking back at Bob’s leadership some years later now, we see a person of faith who was ahead of the curve in so many ways! He anticipated the future. He moved IPS ahead through a grand vision of education and consensus-building among the faculty that continued what has come to be known as ‘the IPS tradition’.” – Gilmour
Brian
Schmisek, IPS Dean and Professor (2012-2019), noted that “Bob Ludwig led IPS with
tremendous creativity, starting new programs and implementing new ideas. As he
retired he was honored with the ‘Called and Gifted’ award from AGPIM
(Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry) in recognition of his
contributions to ministry education over the years.”
Peter Jones, IPS Acting Dean, expressed: “Dr. Ludwig has been instrumental in advancing the fields of theology and pastoral studies and served as a beloved educator for more than 40 years. (…) In 1982 he took a position in the Institute for Ministry at Loyola University New Orleans and created there, well ahead of its time, a distance education program in ministry formation. The growth and importance of online education today, a distant and unforeseen possibility in 1982, reveals the prophetic nature of his vocation and commitment to serving students. (…) Dr. Ludwig joined the IPS in 2004 as a full-time faculty member and served as its director through 2012 and as faculty through 2014. In all these ways and more, Dr. Ludwig’s work and reputation as a scholar, teacher, and leader demonstrate his reputation in the field.” In recognition of all Bob Ludwig’s contributions, Loyola University Chicago granted him the status of Professor Emeritus!
Congratulations Bob!
10-16-2019|Comments Off on Honoring Bob Ludwig, IPS Director and Professor Emeritus
In an attempt to build stronger
and healthier dialogical bridges between the academy and the episcopal
hierarchy in the Catholic Church, the Catholic Theological Society of America
has sponsored an initiative to provide grants for bishops and theologians to
meet for social and intellectual exchange, usually in the context of discussing
a shared text.
IPS
was awarded such a grant and met with Auxiliary Bishop Ron Hicks this week. IPS faculty and staff members Michael Canaris,
David Dault, timone davis, Peter Jones, Heidi Russell, Bill Schmidt, Nathaniel
Samuel, Deborah Watson, and John Fontana along with Bishop Hicks discussed Synodality in the life and mission of the Church, astudy by the International
Theological Commission, that serves in an advisory capacity to the Pope and the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on current relevant topics.
Bishop
Hicks, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, previously served as
regional director at an orphanage in El Salvador between 2005 and 2009, and for
that reason IPS chose to enjoy Salvadorian food (including the local staple —
pupusas!) for this meeting. The bishop was also at one time Dean of
Formation for St. Joseph College Seminary in its earlier iteration as an
academic unit at Loyola.
The
conversation included an ongoing commitment to mutual active listening by those
seeking to live in the community of the faith at all levels. Both
Bishop Hicks and the IPS professors commented on how modeling such behavior is
an important antidote to the tribalism and silos of our day. Oscar Romero
was frequently invoked in the discussions.
The
Catholic Theological Society of America is the principal association of
Catholic theologians in North America. Founded in 1946 it has over 1300 members
and is the largest professional society of theologians in the world. As stated
in their guiding documents, the purpose of CTSA is to promote theological
research in the Roman Catholic tradition that is attentive to contemporary
problems faced by the Church and the world. Obviously, this
conversation and relationship-building initiative touched on ecumenical and
social themes that extended far beyond the bounds of the visible Catholic
Church.
As
the convener of the session, Professor Canaris expressed his gratitude for the
project. “It came up in my colleagues’ comments that we are in an
anomalous historical and political situation where an outside grant is
sometimes necessary to spur dialogue in some places between Catholic higher
education and local ordinaries. We are thankfully in a much healthier
context here in Chicago, where Bishop Hicks, Cardinal Cupich, and the wider
archdiocesan apparatus are largely supportive of the work in which we are
engaged in forming lay leaders and advocates for social justice here at Loyola
in general, and in the IPS in particular. However, I remain thankful for
this CTSA initiative which enabled us to deepen these relationships and plan
for future collaboration and mutual support. We will be following up with
our local leaders when we host some events at the USCCB meetings alongside them
this November, as is our recent tradition here.”
According to Michael Okińczyc-Cruz, CSPL was founded through one on one meetings. In the spring of 2017, several Catholic leaders in the Chicagoland area wanted to do faith-based community organizing, they came together and the organization was founded in June/July 2017.
CSPL works in the Western suburbs of Chicago – Maywood, Broadview, Melrose – these areas are deeply impacted by poverty, racism, and inequality. Michael believes people who have been marginalized have a significant role to play in the liberation and progressive development of their own communities. “The goal is to give voices of leadership to those who have been impacted by poverty and racism. During this time of profound fear and despair, it is important to support those who must be at the center of leadership and give them the hope to rise up and organize. These leaders must organize to develop creative and courageous solutions that reflect their deepest values.”
The coalition is also actively involved in issues of immigration, safety and violence prevention and the Census 2020, with committees that meet regularly to discuss these relevant topics.
CSPL offers leadership trainings for those who want to learn more about faith-based community organizing. “We believe that every person has the fundamental right and responsibility to be engaged in civic and democratic life and to work for the Common Good, as the Catholic Social Teaching tradition emphasizes.” CSPL’s leadership trainings provide grassroots leaders with the resources to effectively organize for social change in a manner that is deeply rooted in and inspired by the Catholic spiritual and theological traditions.
“There are numerous organizations in the Chicago area that do community organizing, we are one of many, but the most important thing is attending the leadership training to learn how to effectively organize in the community that you live in.”
Visit CSPL’s website to see the work Michael and the Coalition have been doing and learn more about ways to get involved.
Michael is an adjunct assistant professor at IPS and is the Executive Director and a co-founder of CSPL. CSPL is a non-profit organization committed to addressing social, racial and economic justice issues through grassroots leadership development and community organizing grounded in the Catholic spiritual and theological traditions.
A first-generation American, Michael has been a faith-based community organizer for 8 years, he has worked to address issues related to criminal justice, mental health, corporate bank accountability, immigration reform, refugee rights, public transportation, workforce development and workforce diversity on a local, statewide and national level.
9-18-2019|Comments Off on Learn about the Coalition for Spiritual & Public Leadership (CSPL) and its Executive Director & co-founder Michael Okińczyc-Cruz, IPS Adjunct Faculty.
This 2019-2020 school year, IPS welcomes Mariana Miller on board as the new Assistant Dean for the school of Contextual Education. Mariana expresses excitement as she begins her journey with the department.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? (Grew up where, family, etc.) – I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Yes! Where Pope Francis is from! We even had first communion in the same church! I’m the oldest of 4 kids. I got my BA/MA in English culture and Language and my teaching certificate in English as a second language. I worked as a teacher for a few years and I became interested in mission work and in spirituality. This took me to study theology and philosophy, and I explored a vocation to religious life in an order that follows Ignatian spirituality. Although I realized religious life was not my calling , Ignatian spirituality stuck with me, in part, maybe because I’m half Basque… In 1999, I came to the US permanently. I got my MA in Theology at Boston College where I had the fortune to study under great professors and meet great friends including my husband, Richard Miller. After graduation, I worked as co-director of campus ministry at Boston University for the school year of 2001-2002. In August of 2002, my first son was born and I left my job to stay at home with him. We moved to Omaha in 2005 when my husband started teaching in the theology department at Creighton University. At that point we had two boys and our third one was born in Omaha in 2009. We are very busy with family, friends and work! Our oldest son is an incoming junior at Creighton Prep, he wants to play soccer in College and LUC is one of the schools he’s looking at. Our three boys play soccer and they follow Argentine, Mexican and European soccer (mostly British football!)
What were you involved in prior to working at IPS?– I
come from Creighton University, where I was the associate director for the
Christian spirituality programs and the MA in Ministry. I am very excited to
stay within the Jesuit network!
How did you discern IPS to be a next step? – When I learned about the position at IPS, I saw an amazing opportunity for growth and for being part of sharing the Jesuit mission with the Church at large through all of our programs.
What are some of your favorite Chicago-related pursuits? – I love Chicago! Although I am not going to move from Omaha, since my husband is a full professor at Creighton, I love the opportunity to come every other week. My youngest sister lives here and I love spending time with her and her family!
Finally, can you share a personal spiritual practice
that continues to restore and re-energize your mind, body, heart and spirit? – As
far as a restorative spiritual practice, I love taking long walks with my
husband every night while the weather is nice. I practice the Ignatian examen every night
being grateful for the presence of God in my life through all the people I get
to share my time with, and I try to practice yoga, at least once a week.
7-29-2019|Comments Off on IPS Welcomes Mariana to the Team!
IPS
is proud to announce that the Board of Commissioners of the Association of
Theological Schools granted full accreditation to the Loyola University Chicago
Institute of Pastoral Studies on June 10, 2019.
The
IPS degree programs: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian
Spirituality (Professional MA), Master of Arts in Counseling for Ministry
(Professional MA), Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling (Professional MA), and
the Master of Arts in Social Justice (Professional MA) were also approved, as
were our comprehensive online (distance education) programs. Dr. Brian
Schmisek, Dean of IPS said, “This accreditation recognizes the quality of the
IPS programs, the strength of our relationship as an integral academic unit at
Loyola University Chicago, and the efforts of the entire IPS community. We are
grateful for our membership in ATS, and are happy to have had such a positive
review.” The next evaluation of IPS is set to take place in the spring of 2026.
6-20-2019|Comments Off on IPS Receives Accreditation from ATS
In his new book, Woven Together: Faith and Justice for the Earth and the Poor, James Mastaler makes the case that now, more than ever, it is critical that religious stories encompass a call to moral responsibility for the earth and to the global poor.
James is an alumnus of the Master of Arts in Social Justice program at the Institute of Pastoral Studies and he has a PhD in theology from Loyola.
James S. Mastaler, PhD
The book, with a foreword by distinguished environmental philosopher Holmes Rolston III, has been endorsed by Bill McKibben as a “good-hearted and useful effort to bridge some of the gaps between communities of faith and the environmental justice movement.”
*Readers are encouraged
to connect with the author in the Facebook Group “WE ARE
#WovenTogether” or on Twitter @JamesMastaler
*Available wherever
books are sold in paperback and e-reader versions, including Kindle on
Amazon, or from your local independent bookstore (such as Chicago’s Unabridged Books).
6-05-2019|Comments Off on IPS Alumnus Publishes New Book “Woven Together : Faith and Justice for the Earth and the Poor”
On April 4th, IPS hosted Racism and The Church: A Community Conversation on ‘Open Wide Our Hearts’ at Regents Hall in Lewis Towers.
April 4, 2019 at Regents Hall
The IPS community gathered to explore further issues of race in our context and to foster a communal reflection and discussion. Panelists discussed the pastoral letter on racism (“Open Wide Our Hearts“) issued by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2018.
Scheduled speaker Donna Grimes (Assistant Director of African American Affairs, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, USCCB) was unable to attend but has graciously recorded a video of her thoughts on the ‘Open Wide Our Hearts’ pastoral letter.
To view Ms. Grimes’s video, please click on this link.
Donna Grimes has also provided the following summary of her thoughts on the November 2018 pastoral letter:
I can’t resist comparing the anticipation in the Catholic community surrounding this Pastoral Letter with the Muller Report. There are countless parallels – rising concerns, an urgent demand for explanations, cries for justice.
The emergency became evident for the bishops with violence in Charlottesville in August 2017. But, around the country, concerns have long been brewing in the Black community…the recorded beating of Rodney King, the killing of Amadou Diallo, the murder of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and so many more Black men. And, not to be forgotten, Black women – Sandra Bland, Rekia Boyd. And the children – Tamir Rice and many victims of drive-by shootings…Too many precious lives stolen. Few perpetrators are convicted and sentenced. Cases dropped. Not guilty verdicts. Few grieving families are comforted. Mainstream America’s response including that of the bishops has been anemic rather than outrage and policy. From the bishops we heard: Stay peaceful, pray, don’t turn your anger toward the police and All Lives Matter.
Why haven’t our church leaders probed and responded to the underlying issues? I believe it’s because with the exception of abortion, they are mainstream America. Without taking anything away from individual bishops – particularly in areas with headline cases who reacted with public statements of compassion and community level action – what I’m saying is that their silence has been maddening! And, there’s no excuse for apparent lack of awareness or understanding of institutional racism. Fr. Bryan Massingale’s book, Racial Justice and the Catholic Church and Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow have been available for a decade.
The key contribution of this Pastoral Letter has been a platform — to open the door to dialog and action; to begin or resume the work of dismantling racism; to engage in difficult conversations together and within our own circles about racism in the neighborhood and in the Church. What we can do is not change the channel. We should address racism together at times, but it’s vital to work on racism within our own groups. In-group conversations will differ for White people and People of Color. For instance, White people could focus on white identity, what it means to be White in America and in the world and learning real American history. People of Color could examine how they internalize racialized messages and concentrate on empowerment strategies. The Pastoral Letter encourages self-reflection for everyone without implying that everyone should reflect in the same way.
I appreciate various critiques I’ve read about the Pastoral Letter Against Racism. Whatever shortcomings are exposed in the text of Open Wide Our Hearts, I have to give credit where it’s due. For instance, despite advice to center on the abuse crisis exclusively at their November 2018 meeting, they decided to keep the letter on their agenda. Then the bishops approved it with a nearly unanimous vote (2 no, 1 abstention). Bottom line (P.4): What they said was, “What is needed, and what we are calling for, is a genuine conversion of heart, a conversion that will compel change, and the reform of our institutions and society.”
Conversion of heart that compels change and reforms our institutions and society is a heavy lift. But, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
The bishops are correct about what is needed but can we honestly expect them to know how to make it happen? As Dr. Shawnee Daniels-Sykes (Mt. Mary University) pointed out in a recent post about the Pastoral Letter, it’s only been 50 years since racial segregation was “outlawed.” But, this is a young country and we have a much longer history of subjugating Black people, other people of color and poor white people.
The good news is that the ball is in our court now. We could press our own bishops to say more (and do more) to manifest their conviction that Racism is a Life Issue. Ask, what’s the plan for the diocese for dismantling racism? How will dismantling racism be addressed in seminaries? Catholic schools? Parishes? How will this imperative play out in hiring and contracting practices? In the distribution of resources? Ask your pastor to preach on racism, to create space for courageous conversations in the parish. The Pastoral Letter calls on all elements of the Church to take action: individuals, families, institutions and organizations.
Catholic colleges, universities – even pastoral institutes – have tremendous opportunities to study, reflect and act; and most importantly, to form anti-racist actors who are our future lawyers, doctors, educators, policy-makers, parents, clergy, business owners, etc. This means acknowledging the unspoken American value of White Supremacy, a cultural value that is right up there with Freedom and Democracy, recognizing White Privilege, facing White Fragility about race and overcoming these impediments to racial justice.
USCCB staff are finding their way toward implementing the Pastoral Letter Against Racism and assisting Catholic entities to do the same. Offices are being reminded of the bishops’ stated commitment to engage in efforts to resist racism – to reconsider their approaches, resource materials and methods of advancing the Church’s mission via evangelization and catechesis, youth ministry, priestly formation, and liturgy for example. In some cases, it’s as fundamental as pointing out that there are other people in the room and one size does not fit all.
One action that I’m especially excited about is working with Catholic schools to address how the history of Native Americans and African Americans is presented in the curriculum. Another is the listening sessions that the Ad Hoc Committee and staff are arranging in dioceses around the country. A Study Guide is in development. The USCCB website provides numerous resources e.g., K-12 lesson plan suggestions, brief backgrounders and parish aids, with more coming.
I’m encouraged by more bright lights, e.g., the creativity of Youth artist-activists like the spoken word collaborative, Split This Rock, by which a diverse group of teens use poetry and art to explore social justice issues. And, there are the emerging young community organizers who tackle the intersectionality of race with other justice issues.
Speaking of organizers, this reminds me that the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has been going strong for 50 years. Read stories of hope as CCHD funds racial & economic justice empowerment projects.
I’d like to close with this inspiring message sent by a friend:
A door is much smaller than the house
A lock is much smaller, compared to the door
A key is the smallest of all,
but a key can open the entire house
Thus a small, thoughtful solution can solve major problems.
Let’s get started!
Thank you to all the speakers and those who attended for their presence and commitment to ensuring our faith community remains dynamic and inclusive.
