Promising Practices for February

Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin Luther King jr. (ca. 1955)
Source: Ebony Magazine

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to a Black History Month liturgy in celebration of life.

Reach out to the wider community by writing an article on The Evil of Racism to submit to the local or diocesan newspaper.

Reach out to members of the Black Community and form an adult education/discussion group to read Brothers and Sisters to Us: U.S. Bishops Pastoral Letter on Racism in Our Day.

Reach out to and visit our sisters and brothers in prison. Design scripture study programs, retreats, and missions for those in prison.

Reach out to work with area churches, synagogues, and mosques to plan a forum on anti-racism for high school youth.

Reach out to gather family and friends together to pray the Black Catholic History Rosary.

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Promising Practices for January

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from the American Broadcasting Company program Open Hearing
5 June 1957
By ABC Television (eBay front back) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Reach out to invite members of the community to an ecumenical prayer vigil/day of prayer for migrant workers, refugees, and those affected by human trafficking as we remember “We are One Family Under God.”

Reach out to invite people from the Black Community to an evening presentation on the teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reach out to invite Black teachers and educators in the community to participate in a community dialogue on Racism in Public and Private Schools.

Reach out to bring people together for a community dialogue on How to Build Communities of Peace and Nonviolence.

Catholic Theologians on Racial Justice

“We commit ourselves to placing our bodies and/or privilege on the line in visible, public solidarity with movements of protest to address the deep-seated racism of our nation.” Statement of Catholic Theologians on Racial Justice

It is time to move from making statements about racial equality to showing concrete acts of love, compassion, and justice toward all people. Reach out to invite friends, colleagues, spiritual leaders, and anyone interested in working on racial justice to read, share, and commit to the actions suggested by Catholic Theologians of North America.

 

Promising Practices for December

Candle light By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands ([384/365] [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to an ecumenical prayer vigil/day of prayer for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Reach out to work with area churches, synagogues, and mosques to plan a forum on HIV/AIDS.

Reach out to create a community action group to take a stand against  contemporary forms of slavery involving the most vulnerable groups in societies, such as those regarded as being of low caste, tribal minorities, and indigenous peoples.

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to a special Kwanzaa celebration.

Reach out to members of the Black Community by distributing a bulletin or flyer on the meaning and purpose of Kwanzaa.

Reach out to feed the poor and homeless in the Black Community by planning a soul-food potluck supper.

 

Promising Practices for November

Candle Burning
by Matthew Bowden
http://www.digitallyrefreshing.com (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/148763) [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to a special Welcome celebration for Advent.

Reach out to the elders of the Black Community to invite them to share their stories and memories to make an Oral History for the community.

Reach out to work with area churches, synagogues, and mosques to organize a soup kitchen or food pantry.

Reach out to members of the community to explore and discuss  cultural diversity within the Catholic Church.

Promising Practices for October

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to a Black Catholic Respect Life Vigil on the eve of Respect Life Sunday (the first Sunday in October).

Reach out to work with area churches to sponsor a membership drive for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

Reach out to invite community members for a conversation about Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity.

Promising Practices for September

JESUS MAFA. Prodigal Son, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54662 [retrieved August 24, 2014].

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to celebrate Catechetical Sunday by “Teaching About God’s Gift of Forgiveness.”

Reach out to invite members of the Black Community to a prayer vigil/day of prayer to pray for an end of violence in our community, our nation, and our world.

Reach out to members of the Black Community to plan and coordinate a Cultural Reading Group to read about people from various cultures who have made significant contributions to the advancement of people everywhere.

Reach out to people in the Black Community to encourage them to let their need for affordable housing be known. Invite a representative from Habitat for Humanity to explore the possibility of building new homes in your parish community.

Reach out to work with area churches to organize a community-wide voter registration drive.

Promising Practices for July

Reach out to children of the Black Community to participate in the summer vacation Bible school.

Reach out to work with area churches to recruit volunteers to visit prisoners.