Resources to aid you in becoming a Catholic racial healer.
Resources for Formation & Learning
Encountering each other.
Formation to guide us in seeing each other as God sees us.
Action to show up as the Beloved Community we are created to build.
These are three steps we can take toward racial healing, as sisters and brothers in Christ. Formation gives content and direction to every action we take, as we deepen our relationships with each other across race, ethnicity, and parish boundaries.
Here is a brief list of selected resources that can help us begin or deepen our formation as Catholic racial healers.
1) U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):
For parishes: https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-parish-resources
This includes sample bulletin inserts, pastoral aids, prayer resources and backgrounders in English &
Spanish on many themes: Catholic identity and Racial Diversity, Systemic Racism, Racism & Economic
Inequality, Education, Employment, Housing, Migration, Criminal Justice, Native American Experience
and Voting.
2) Liturgy resources: https://www.usccb.org/sjp/racism-prejudice-and-transforming-power-liturgy
3) Pastoral Letters:
Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. A Pastoral Letter Against Racism by the USCCB Committee on Cultural Diversity (2018): https://www.usccb.org/resources/open-wide-our-hearts-enduring-call-love-pastoral-letter-against-racism
Open Wide Our Hearts Study Guide: https://www.usccb.org/resources/open-wide-our-hearts-study-guide
We Are One Body: A Pastoral Letter written by Archbishop Nelson Pérez of Philadelphia on the Occasion of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (2023) https://www.usccb.org/resources/open-wide-our-hearts-enduring-call-love-pastoral-letter-against-racism
4) Saintly Role Models:
Short video on St Katharine Drexel, Patron Saint of Racial Justice and Philanthropy and founder, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jv6IbFeMUI
60-min video on the life of St Katharine Drexel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2wLpAYf2-0
Video on the life of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9oOa2iOwck&list=PLDo-
Address by Sr Thea Bowman to the US Bishops (June 1989): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOV0nQkjuo
For more information and resources, feel free to contact us:newencounterscatholics@gmail.com