Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Galloway recently welcomed the ecumenical group EMBRACING RACE for a discussion on “Open Wide Our Hearts – A Conversation About Race,” a reference to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s November 2018 pastoral letter against racism.
“Dismantling racism doesn’t really start with activism. It has to start inside each one of us,” said Mary Anne Degenhart, EMBRACING RACE co-founder, who was among the core leaders to speak at the event. The day also featured small-group discussions and a film on systemic racism.
According to the U.S. bishop’s pastoral letter “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” “The roots of racism have extended deeply into the soil of our society. Racism can only end if we contend with the policies and institutional barriers that perpetuate and preserve the inequality – economic and social – that we still see all around us. With renewed vigor, we call on the members of the Body of Christ to join others in advocating and promoting policies at all levels that will combat racism and its effects in our civic and social institutions.”
Said Degenhart, “Together we can do this.”
Among the readings Degenhart suggested for those interested in learning more about racial justice: “Awakening to the Violence of Systemic Racism” by Vince Gallagher and Sherine Green. Green is from Christ Our Light Parish, Cherry Hill.
EMBRACING RACE meets online or in-person on the second Thursday of the month. For more information, visit www.embracingraceconversation.org.
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