Can you see God working in your life
By Ty Salvant
One of the many hats I wear is working for justice and harmony among all God’s people. It’s a role which includes being a member of the Archdiocese of New Orleans Racial Harmony Commission and the St. Martin de Porres Society at St. Dominic Church in Lakeview.
With much excitement, I invite you to a joint venture between the two groups, “How to Be a Voice for Human Dignity in our Community,” a prayer service on racial healing on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. at Transfiguration of the Lord Church, 2212 Prentiss Ave., in New Orleans. Masks are required, and seating is limited.
If are uncomfortable attending in person, the committee is encouraging families and groups to live stream the prayer service at www.nolacatholic.org/racialhealing – and reflect on the discussion questions provided.
This prayer service is appropriate for all ages, because racism is an evil that impacts even the youngest among us.
Initially, the prayer service was to begin a series of workshops based on pastoral letters written to address the sin of racism. Unfortunately, with the increase of COVID-19 cases, we found it prudent to postpone the workshop series until the spring.
As parents, it is important to have conversations with our children about racism. We owe it to them to explain the social teachings of the Catholic Church and to teach what they can do to support the important life issues of racial respect, equity and harmony.
The more we recognize what sin is, the easier it will be to address it.
I recall a conversation with a friend years ago. As a child, she recalled not knowing what racism was. However, she knew when her dad talked about black people, he changed; it was palpable. When another person sparks such a visceral response in us, we can be assured that our response is not of God.
There is a plethora of resources available to help us be free of this sin of racism. We hope this prayer service is a first step for many. The prayer service will be posted at a later date on the archdiocesan YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Archdiocese+of+New+Orleans). It will give any ministry, bible study group, work group or families a chance to watch and discuss the questions.
As comfortable as we have become with virtual meetings, the committee recommends that these discussions be held in person within your inner circle. Because of the sensitive nature of the material, we would not want misunderstanding or false interpretations made due to failed internet service.
The pastoral letters, among other resources, can be found at www.arch-no.org/racial-harmony.
