From the Pen of Deacon Chris Barrett - "Responding to Persecution" ~ Trinity Sunday, 6.7.2020

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Responding to Persecution

Black is beautiful (1960's).  Black Lives Matter (2020's).  St. Elizabeth is privileged and proud to be one of three parishes in our diocese that is designated as an African-American parish.  The universal Catholic Church has been enriched by the saintly participation of black people since the first century.  For 400 years now, blacks in America have been the victims of unceasing persecution, including persistent harassment and hostility by white police officers.  The murder of George Floyd is the tip of the iceberg and a tipping point in our history.  And so, we as a parish commit ourselves to continue our work for racial justice, particularly in Richmond and particularly as it is needed in law enforcement practices, affordable housing, educational opportunity, and economic standards of living.

And so, we as a parish challenge those of us who are white, in the words of black Catholic priest Fr. Bryan Massingale, "to sit in the discomfort that the hard truth of white privilege brings, to admit your ignorance and to do something about it, to have the courage to confront your family and friends, to be unconditionally pro-life given that racism is a life issue, and to pray."  While sitting with the discomfort, it is a time to reflect on the assumptions that have influenced our lives about people who are Black and so lift this awareness in prayer.  And so, we as a parish look forward to being an even stronger beloved and diverse community of disciples of Jesus Christ, Lord of us all.

Deacon Chris Barrett