During Glenmary's 16th General Chapter this decree on Racism was unanimously approved:
We, the Glenmary Home Missioners of America, meeting in our 16th General Chapter in June 2015, are assessing the mission needs of our time, and with horror recognize the outbursts of racism during the recent months in our culture. Unarmed black men are being shot. Black people at prayer are being killed. In reality, the overt and covert killer is racism.
In our culture there exists a racial divide. People of color are marginalized, dehumanized and devalued. As people of the Gospel, we Glenmarians read Matthew 25 as though Jesus were saying, “I was among the least, the most vulnerable and discounted, and you recognized me as your brother—no, indeed, as your other self!”
In the face of racism, with earthly reasoning, we despair. But, with heavenly grace, we hope.
Glenmary, a small group, yet a committed band of missioners, raises a voice, and invites others to join us
to listen beyond the shrill voices of division,
to walk with our wounded brothers and sisters through their despair,
to seek through dialog and prayer the strength to say No to hatred, No to division, No to racism.
We pledge ourselves to self-examination about racism, to recognize it and condemn it, to preach our commitment from our pulpits, and to return next year to report what we have done. As a family of the Church, we pledge repentance for our lack of attention to racism within our culture. And, with God’s grace, we vow Gospel vigilance.
We, the Glenmary Home Missioners of America, meeting in our 16th General Chapter in June 2015, are assessing the mission needs of our time, and with horror recognize the outbursts of racism during the recent months in our culture. Unarmed black men are being shot. Black people at prayer are being killed. In reality, the overt and covert killer is racism.
In our culture there exists a racial divide. People of color are marginalized, dehumanized and devalued. As people of the Gospel, we Glenmarians read Matthew 25 as though Jesus were saying, “I was among the least, the most vulnerable and discounted, and you recognized me as your brother—no, indeed, as your other self!”
In the face of racism, with earthly reasoning, we despair. But, with heavenly grace, we hope.
Glenmary, a small group, yet a committed band of missioners, raises a voice, and invites others to join us
to listen beyond the shrill voices of division,
to walk with our wounded brothers and sisters through their despair,
to seek through dialog and prayer the strength to say No to hatred, No to division, No to racism.
We pledge ourselves to self-examination about racism, to recognize it and condemn it, to preach our commitment from our pulpits, and to return next year to report what we have done. As a family of the Church, we pledge repentance for our lack of attention to racism within our culture. And, with God’s grace, we vow Gospel vigilance.
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