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Grades 5 - 8
Addressing Racism
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Prayer to Overcome Racism - USCCB
Mary, friend and mother to all, through your Son, God has found a way to unite himself to every human being, called to be one people, sisters and brothers to each other.
We ask for your help in calling on your Son, seeking forgiveness for the times when we have failed to love and respect one another.
We ask for your help in obtaining from your Son the grace we need to overcome the evil of racism and to build a just society.
We ask for your help in following your Son, so that prejudice and animosity will no longer infect our minds or hearts but will be replaced with a love that respects the dignity of each person.
Mother of the Church, the Spirit of your Son Jesus warms our hearts: pray for us. Amen.
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Addressing racism is essential, as it violates a key principle of Catholic Teaching: the dignity of the human person. This principle holds that all life is made in the image and likeness of God. This means we are one family in God and, as a result, when one part of the Body of Christ suffers, we all suffer.
However, we may feel uncomfortable discussing the topic, not know where to begin, or how to process recent events. In the conversation below, Fr Mike Schmitz and Fr Josh Johnson discuss the topic of racism and how we can help heal the Body of Christ.
While instances of racism can be very apparent, other instances might have become common place and easily overlooked. This is why the USCCB, in "Open Wide Our Hearts", calls individuals to listen to the experiences of people of color. Below watch a conversation between Catholic speakers of color and how our words matter.
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What is the next step? Here are some suggestions:
Have a conversation as a family about race, racism and current events. The two buttons below will lead you to resources on how to have the conversation, examples of questions and prompts to use, as well as books and movies that families can explore together.
As a family, you can watch the movie "Just Mercy" (PG-13). You can use the discussion guide below to facilitate discussion.
The USCCB calls Catholics to listen to the experiences of people of color. Below are three Catholic people of color to learn that serve as great voices and resources.
Past PARENT CUE Materials
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