Dear Fellow Michaelonians,
 
During my lifetime, I have witnessed racism in many ways. I can assure you that there is no institution, system, company, or human being that exists without this painful sin. I know this is true of me! Over the past few weeks, as protesting and demonstrating have taken place in the heart of our city, I have become aware that many people do not feel they can do anything to help. It seems that the more systemic and layered the issue becomes, the more inactivity thrives. I don’t think anyone has the intention of hurting or harming. Yet, I am hearing and reading from our sisters and brothers of color that it is the silence and the desire to have things settle down and return to normal that allows racist actions and agendas to continue to thrive in our communities.

I would suggest that we CAN do something. St. Michael Parish was founded on the belief that dignity exists in every human being. We are a multinational, multicultural, and multiracial worshiping community. We have tackled difficult issues and circumstances in the past, and we can do it with this most urgent matter, as well.

We can open our hearts to the gospel message that challenge us to approach love as Christ calls us—love that is more than feeling the warm fuzzies toward another. Jesus shows us a love that is an act of the will, and something of which we ARE capable. I call on us to imagine how our parish might continue to grow by focusing on embracing and dialoguing about our different races and cultures.

I pray the Holy Spirit will guide us in this evolving initiative and that our hearts will be opened wide!


To address the issue of systemic racism, our parish has pulled together Catholic resources and action avenues that can assist you in learning more about our Catholic response and what you can do to be part of the change.

You can find all these resources in our dedicated page:
Catholic Response: Racism (Educate | Read & Listen | Action | Get Involved Locally)