JUST NEWS  February 2000

Office of  Justice and Peace Sowers of Justice Catholic Diocese of Richmond

Focus on Racism In this issue: Racism & Catholic Social Teaching ART of Justice & Peace A Pastoral Perspective Resources for Parishes Sowers of Justice News Charlottesville Tidewater Voices That Challenge Virgina Tech Anti-Racism Initiatives Racism in Appalachia Racial Unity Working Group Dismantling Racism Workshops Encuentro 2000 Jubilee News Pope Calls for an End to the Death Penalty Britain Forgives Foreign Debt CRS Donates Food to Iraq Jubilee & Justice Courses Richmond Tidewater Blacksburg Wytheville Bristol Calendar OJP Staff  Sowers of Justice Contact Information

Racism and Catholic Social Teaching Selected Quotes from the U.S. Bishops’ 1979 Document, Brothers & Sisters to Us: A Pastoral Letter on Racism in Our Day Racism is the sin that says some human beings are inherently superior and others essentially inferior because of race.  It is the sin that makes racial characteristics the determining factor for the exercise of human rights.  It mocks the words of Jesus: "Treat others the way you would have them treat you."  Indeed, racism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of each human being revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation ... Every form of discrimination against individuals and groups -- whether because of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, economic status, or national or cultural origin -- is a serious injustice which has severely weakened our social fabric and deprived our country of the unique contributions of many of our citizens ... The structures of our society are subtly racist, for these structures reflect the values which society upholds.  They are geared to the success of the majority and the failure of the minority.  Members of both groups give unwitting approval by accepting things as they are.  Perhaps no single individual is to blame.  The sinfulness is often anonymous but nonetheless real.  The sin is social in nature in that each of us, in varying degrees, is responsible.  All of us in some measure are accomplices. Racism has been part of the social fabric of America since its European colonization.  Whether it be the tragic past of the Native Americans, the Mexicans, the Puerto Ricans, or the blacks, the story is one of slavery, peonage, economic exploitation, brutal repression, and cultural neglect.  All have suffered indignity; most have been uprooted, defrauded or dispossessed of their lands; and none have escaped one or another form of collective degradation by a powerful majority.  Our history is littered with the debris of broken promises and treaties, as well as lynchings and massacres that almost destroyed the Indians, humiliated the Hispanics, and crushed the blacks…

Crude and blatant expressions of racist sentiment, though they occasionally exist, are today considered bad form.  Yet racism itself persists in covert ways...  [I]t is manifest in the tendency to stereotype and marginalize whole segments of the population whose presence is perceived as a threat.  It is manifest also in the indifference that replaces open hatred... 

Today's racism flourishes in the triumph of private concern over public responsibility, individual success over social commitment, and personal fulfillment over authentic compassion …

To the extent that racial bias affects our personal attitudes and judgements, to the extent that we allow another's race to influence our relationship and limit our openness, to the extent that we see yet close our hearts to our brothers and sisters in need -- to that extent we are called to conversion and renewal in love and justice …

We urge that on all levels the Catholic Church examine its conscience regarding attitudes and behavior toward blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians.  We urge consideration of the evil of racism as it exists in the local Church and reflection upon the means of combating it.  We urge scrupulous attention at every level to insure that minority representation goes beyond mere tokenism and involves authentic sharing in responsibility and decision making …

There must be no turning back along the road of justice, no sighing for bygone times of privilege, no nostalgia for simple solutions from another age.  For we are children of the age to come, when the first shall be last and the last first, when blessed are they who serve Christ the Lord in all His brothers and sisters, especially those who are poor and suffer injustice.
 

A Pastoral Perspective:
Truly Catholic - What Does It Mean?
By Rev. John Boddie, 
Pastor, Church of the Visitation in Middlesex County and Francis de Sales in Mathews County

In the minds of far too many people the sin of racism and intolerance is viewed as a relic of the past.  The horror of Jasper, Texas and other recent events remind us that this is an erroneous and dangerous assumption. 

The Catholic Church has made prophetic statements denouncing all forms of racism, bigotry and injustice.  However, the true catholicity of the church is all too often invisible.  The church is seen by many people of color as primarily and exclusively Caucasian.  The cultural expression in our parishes is almost exclusively European.

Black Catholics, however, have always challenged the church to truly be pluralistic, diverse and universal -- beginning with the Black Catholic Congresses of the late 19th century.  In spite of the virulent racism and prejudice leveled against them, black Catholics here in Virginia have clung to their faith with dogged determination. 

In this Jubilee year black Catholics are called once again to remind the church of its catholicity. 

• Do we reach out to culturally and racially diverse communities in our parishes and programs? 
• Do we highlight church statements on racism in our catechetical programs? 
• Do we consider hiring minority contractors to build our schools, homes, offices, and churches? 
• Do we actively recruit black Catholics to the priesthood and religious life? 

The Vatican is considering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King as a 20th century  martyr of the Christian faith.  In light of this,  I close with a quote from Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities.  In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard so many ministers say, "Those are social issues with the gospel has no real concern," and I have watched so many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which made a strange distinction between body and soul, the sacred and the secular.  So here we are moving toward the exit of the twentieth century with a religious community largely adjusted to the status quo, standing as a taillight behind other community agencies rather than a headlight leading men (sic) to higher levels of justice.

Resources on Racism
 

Church Documents 

U.S. Bishops, Brothers & Sisters to Us: A Pastoral Letter on Racism in Our Day, 1979
http://www.osjspm.org/cst/racism.htm

Pontifical Justice & Peace Commission, The Church And Racism: Towards A More Fraternal Society, 1988   http://www.mcgill.pvt.k12.al.us/jerryd/jpracism.htm

Books

Paul Kivel, Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice, New Society Publishers, 1996

Andrew Hacker, Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal, Scribners Press, 1992

Beverly Daniel Tatum, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, Basic Books, 1997

Cornel West, Race Matters, Beacon Press, 1993

Juan Williams, Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965, Viking Penguin, 1987

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Ballantine, 1973

Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, Bantam, 1970

Useful Web Sites

Theology Library on Racial Justice -- McGill University
http://www.mcgill.pvt.k12.al.us/jerryd/cm/race.htm

Toward a More Perfect Union in an Age of Diversity: 
A Guide to Building Stronger Communities through Public Dialogue
http://www.pbs.org/ampu/scg.html

One America -- The President's Initiative on Race
http://www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/america.html

Organizations

Hope in the Cities
1103 Sunset Ave, Richmond, VA   23221
(804) 358-1764,   E-mail: hopecities@aol.com
http://www.hopeinthecities.org

Teaching Tolerance Project, Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave, Montgomery, AL 36104
(334) 264-0286
http://www.splcenter.org/teachingtolerance/

Virginia Organizing Project, 1132 Otter Street, 
Charlottesville, VA   22901,   (804) 984-4033, 
E-mail: lramirez@virginia-organizing.org
http://www.virginia-organizing.org/

Sowers of Justice News:
Activities of the Catholic Community and 
Friends Working for the Common Good

Charlottesville Sowers
By Susan Pleiss — Church of the Incarnation, Charlottesville

Sowers of Justice in the Diocese of Richmond might consider conducting their annual assembly in an area that needs a good "jump-start" to uncover the latent activists. 

That is certainly what happened in Charlottesville after Jim Wallis was in town last June!!!   Several of us from Church of the Incarnation attended the assembly because it was in our bulletin.  We came away from that inspiring day wondering why there wasn't a local Sowers group.

We talked to OJP about organizing a Sowers group to do social justice transformational work and to provide times for reflection.  How do we begin?  "Find out what people are passionate about," we were told.

We found out that there is a lot of good work being done in our area. One of the needs is to bring people together and to get beyond labels like denominations.  We are striving to be an inclusive, faith-based group that brings people together to magnify our individual efforts. 

In our first meeting of the new century, we gathered almost 20 people to discuss how to make the most of Sr. Helen Prejean's appearance in Charlottesville in late January.  One follow-up action we plan is to ask a local theater to show the film, Dead Man Walking, with follow-up discussions held in local churches. 

There is also strong interest in the group for the local Living Wage Campaign and a desire to include our local African-American community in all our efforts.  We are full of enthusiasm and welcome any input from our elder sisters and brothers in the Sowers’ family!
 

Tidewater Sowers
By Patrice Schwermer -- St. Pius X Parish, Norfolk

For Tidewater Sowers, there was no better way to prepare for the year 2000 than by hearing the challenging Jubilee message of Ched Myers.  He energized a group of eighty  people at St. Nicholas Church in December  - helping us to uncover the real and often times forgotten justice message of the gospel. 

We came away with a renewed commitment to the challenging call of the gospel.  As Sowers, we need to find creative new ways to proclaim the good news for the poor; liberty to the captives, oppressed and marginalized; and to turn our world and world view upside down in order to bring about a transformed world of justice and peace. 

Members of Tidewater Sowers have been busy visiting their area legislators in preparation for the upcoming Catholic Advocacy Day in Richmond.  The group will focus on poverty issues and the 21 Day Rule. 
 

Voices That Challenge
By Jeff Winder

Tidewater Sowers has helped to organize Voices That Challenge, a youth social justice group with the following mission statement: 

"We are: An interfaith voice of high school and college students creating a community that strives to educate and bring about social change. As a group, our voices become one to motivate our peers to follow a path of nonviolence and justice." 

In recent months the group has focused its attention on two issues: the School of the America (SOA) and the death penalty.  Several members of Voices that Challenge traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia in November to join the protest calling for the closure of the SOA. A subcommittee formed to follow up on the energy from that protest. The group plans to participate in the national SOA campaign as well as local actions.

In January Voices joined youth from other groups to organize an anti-death penalty demonstration. About 30 people attended the event, which was covered by the evening TV news and in the local paper. This was tremendously energizing for the youth and for local anti-death penalty advocates, long used to having a handful of people showing up at these events. 

Any youth or adults who might like to form a Voices that Challenge group in their area can contact Jeff Winder at (804) 457-2631 or jwinder@diocric.org.
 

Sowing Justice at Virginia Tech
By Laura Bellis

Virginia Tech Sowers of Justice began our year with a talk by Chely Dorantes, a human rights worker in Guatemala, who shared her story with us.  Dorantes fled her homeland when her father, brother, and sister were “disappeared” by military forces.  Years later she returned to help collect testimony about human rights abuses by the Guatemalan military.  When asked how we could help, she urged efforts to close the School of the America (SOA) and to declassify CIA documents about its covert activities in Guatemala. 

Virginia Tech Sowers are continuing our struggle to help close the SOA.   Last spring we went to the SOA rally in Washington, DC and this year we have had informational meetings. Several students attended the November rally at Fort Benning, Georgia seeking to close the SOA.

As part of Hunger Awareness Month we participated in a Harvest of Hope gleaning retreat and joined the CROP walk.  We also had a hunger banquet at which food of the first world was served to some, food of the second world to others, and food of the third world to the rest. 

We Sowers  are active in a wide range of service and action projects.  Some students traveled to Kentucky for a service project in Appalachia. Others helped to “fill our own field” on the Henderson Hall Lawn, and had a vigil to protest the death penalty.  We educated parishioners about Third World Debt in preparation for our letter writing campaign.  Sowers also regularly spend time with those who are sometimes forgotten at the juvenile detention center and at the Heritage Hall nursing home. 

All in all, we are busy building the kin-dom of God!
 

Anti-Racism Initiatives

Racism in Appalachia
By Muzaffar Fazaluddin

Many people think that racism no longer exists or social equality has already been achieved. They think that this has been achieved from a civil rights perspective, and that it is now time to move on to other, more, useful issues.  The reality is something entirely different. 

In September 1998 a black student in Southwest Virginia was assaulted on a school bus; students pulled a rope around his neck and he barely escaped being strangled.  In early 1999, a black man in Lee County was given a prison sentence far beyond any that a white man would receive. 

Edward J. Cabbell, who traveled extensively through Central Appalachia from 1975 to 1978 has written:

Black people in Appalachia are a neglected minority within a neglected minority.  When black people in Appalachia are recognized, their experiences are often so artfully clouded in myth and reality that they remain virtually invisible.

Beside all the injustices, there is still a ray of hope.  I was encouraged when a public rally was organized in McClure by the Appalachian Women’s Alliance in May 1999.  This was a united stand to combat racism in communities, schools, churches, business and civic organizations.  Many members of the Appalachian Sowers of Justice left their comfort zone to bond with other brothers and sisters for the condemnation of  racial strife. 

Bishop Sullivan’s message to the rally was very hopeful:

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond affirms its commitment to racial reconciliation in our personal relationships, in our churches, and in our communities.  We must also work to enhance racial justice in the structures of our society’s economic and political life. Undoing racism benefits everyone; it sets us free to be sisters and brothers to one another.

Working for Racial Unity
By Candra Parker

I have been a member of the Sowers Racial Unity Working Group since it began two years ago.  As an African-American Catholic woman, I consider myself a triple minority.  I came to the group expecting to be an expert on the topic of racism, given my background in African-American studies coupled with my own life experience.

What I found was that I had a lot to learn about other ethnic groups and the diversity within our own diocese. I had to undergo a personal assessment of the prejudices I have in order to become objective enough to help others come to terms with their own.

The most significant concept I learned was a new definition of racism.  I had used the term “racism” interchangeably with the term “prejudice” to describe any negative act against another based on race.  I discovered that racism was limited to those who had power or benefited from white privilege.  Anyone -- white, black, or brown -- can be prejudiced against another because of their race.  However, people of color do not have the power in this society to create or enforce racist structures of exclusion or discrimination against white people.

When I have shared this concept with others, I have gotten mixed reactions. It is difficult to speak about race without getting emotional.  That's why many people avoid the topic. 

Some of our prejudices are ingrained.  Even the most open-minded folks may have racist thoughts or actions whether intentionally or unintentionally.  During one of our Working Group meetings, I had the sudden realization that our group was perpetuating oppressive language by using the term “minority” when referring to persons of color.  If you think about it, “minority” is a pejorative term which implies that something is less than something else.  In our Western way of thinking, it is so common to group or clump people together and to ignore the strength and potential of our diversity.

Why is racism alive and well in the year 2000?  Most people don't live in racially diverse neighborhoods or worship together.  How can we see others as humans if we rarely interact with persons from another race?
Maya Angelou has often said: "We are more alike than we are different."  If people would take the time or create the opportunity to talk to someone else from another race outside of the pressures of work, we would all see each other as human beings.  That opportunity rarely presents itself in our society.

The Racial Unity Working Group is beginning form dialogue groups in parishes to give people the opportunity to simply talk about racism.  This approach is based on the Jubilee theme of forgiveness.  We need to atone for the sins of racism and to begin the healing process, both as individuals and larger groups.

All of us are responsible -- in line with Catholic social teaching -- to reach out to others and to right the wrongs in the world.  Racism isn't “already taken care of.” It is still alive and well in this new century. Though I already feel battle worn, it is my responsibility to help folks see things from another point of view.  I can only hope others will see the urgency and need and will join us. 

For more information about the Racial Unity Working Group’s parish dialogue process on racism, contact Michael Stone in OJP at (804) 359-5661, ext. 128 or mstone@diocric.org.
 

Dismantling Racism Workshops

In this Jubilee year, the Virginia Organizing Project will hold Dismantling Racism workshops throughout Virginia. These workshops provide the opportunity to reflect on personal experiences, explore theories in anti-racism work, and to build relationships with others whose focus is to make changes within their communities. 

Workshops will be held:

April 28-30, 2000 in Tidewater 
August 4-6, 2000 location TBA 
October 20-22, 2000 location TBA

Encuentro 2000

Encuentro 2000 -- the national celebration of the Jubilee Year sponsored by the U.S. Bishops -- will take place in Los Angeles on July 6-9, 2000. It is an event for the whole church, not just for the Hispanic community.  The main language of the Encuentro will be English.

Through the Encuentro, the U.S. Bishops seek to bring all of the Many Faces in God’s House together as one body in Christ.  The goals of the Encuentro are to:

• Encounter the living Jesus Christ through the ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity of the Church.
• Pray, work, and celebrate with people of many cultures and ethnic communities.
• Seek reconciliation for past failures to recognize &  celebrate the Church’s ethnic & cultural richness.
• Develop strategies for helping parishes affirm all of God’s people’s gifts and be more hospitable to those who are poor, vulnerable, and newcomers.
• Learn to advocate effectively with and for those who thirst for justice.

Jubilee News

 
Pope Calls for an End to the Death Penalty
The Holy Year 2000 represents a great opportunity for the world to abolish the death penalty, Pope John Paul II said. “The great jubilee is a privileged occasion to promote throughout the world increasingly mature forms of respect for life and for the dignity of every person,” said the pope during a December 12th address. Citing church teaching on capital punishment, the pope renewed his appeal for an international consensus on outlawing the practice. 
 

Britain Forgives Foreign Debt
On December 22, 1999 the British Treasury announced that it will write off over $8 billion of debts owed by the world's 41 poorest nations. This gesture makes Great Britain the third of the G7 countries to respond to Pope John Paul II's repeated appeals for the eradication of foreign debt on the occasion of the Great Jubilee. Uganda's secretary of the treasury has said that this initiative will allow the country to build elementary schools for all children in the next five years.
 

CRS Donates Food to Iraq
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) – the overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Church – provided food to 30,000 poor families in Iraq during December 1999.  This action followed a statement by Bishop Anthony Pilla, on behalf of the U.S. Catholic Conference, calling on the international community to end the sanctions that threaten the lives, livelihood, and basic rights of innocent people. "The international community should not resort to means which effectively punish the Iraqi people for the actions of an authoritarian regime over which they have no control," stated Bishop Pilla.
 

Jubilee & Justice Courses in the Diocese

RICHMOND
To register, contact Joan Schlosser at (804) 272-6152:

Living the Spirit of Jubilee

How can we "let the land lie fallow," forgive debts, free those in slavery, restore just relations and celebrate jubilee?

Thursdays  (Feb. 17, 24; March 2, 9, 16, 23) 7:30-9:30pm at St. Edward Church. 

Led by Dr. Margaret McKinnon, Dir. of Religious Education at St. Edward Parish.  Tuition: $30.

Faithful Citizenship

How are the Great Jubilee and a national election related? What guidance does the Church offer Catholics as we set the future direction of our nation in the new millennium? 

Monday, April 3 at 7:45 p.m. at St. Augustine Church. 

Led by Dr. Stephen Colecchi.  Tuition: $5.

TIDEWATER
To register, contact Ann Marie Holland at (757) 497 – 8330:

Jubilee Justice

Focus on Biblical vision of Jubilee, current social realities, and lifestyle issues raised by Jubilee justice.

Mondays (Jan. 17, 24: Feb. 7, 14) 7:00 - 9:00pm at Dolphin Tales Bookstore, 2955 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach. 

Led by Steve Baggerly of the Norfolk Catholic Worker.  Tuition: $20.

Death as Penalty: A Faith Perspective on Capital Punishment

Mondays (March 6, 13, 20) 7:00 - 8:30pm at St. Gregory Parish in Virginia Beach. 

Presenters include Fr. Francis Muench from St. Pius X, Nancy Gowen from Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation, and Theresa Dunleavy from Tidewater Sowers of Justice. Tuition: $15.

BLACKSBURG
To register, contact Mary Ann Novascone at (540) 552-1091 or baoman@swva.net.

Celebrate Jubilee and Justice!

Focus on the call to Jubilee in the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament.  Each session will be composed of prayer, reflection, and active participation. 

Thursdays (March 23, 30, April 6 & 13) 7:00 - 9:00pm at St. Mary's Parish in Blacksburg.

Led by Mary Ann Novascone.  Tuition: $10.

WYTHEVILLE
To register, contact Clare McBrien at (540) 686-5039 or aojp1@naxs.com.

Celebrate Jubilee and Justice!

Focus on the call to Jubilee in the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament.  Each session will be composed of prayer, reflection, and active participation. 

Tuesdays (March 14, 21, 28, & April 4) 7:00 - 9:00pm at St. Mary the Mother of God Church in Wytheville.

Led by Sr. Clare McBrien.  Tuition: $10.

BRISTOL
To register, contact the Appalachian Office of Justice & Peace at (540) 762-5050 or aojp2@naxs.net.

Celebrate Jubilee and Justice!

Focus on the call to Jubilee in the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament.  Each session will be composed of prayer, reflection, and active participation. 

Wednesdays (July 12, 19, 26, August 2, & 9) 7:00 - 9:00pm at St. Anne Parish in Bristol.

Led by Muzaffar Fazaluddin.  Tuition: $10.