Prayer service for racial healing

CHESTER  Affirming the dignity of all persons, no matter what race or creed they may be, parishioners of St. Lawrence Parish and fellow community members gathered July 15 at the Chester church for an outdoor prayer service for racial healing in the country amid the recent protests for racial justice across the nation.

According to Father Nicholas Bozza, pastor of St. Lawrence, “We were approached by several parish families who were concerned about the current situation in our nation. They turned to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for guidance from a trusted source where they found a prayer service entitled, ‘Prayer Service for Racial Healing in Our Land.’ This inspired them as a way to be positively involved from a Catholic Christian perspective.”

The evening was uplifting as Catholics joined in unity around the prayer service’s theme that all people are made in the image and likeness of God.

Deacon Bill DeVizio coordinated the prayer service and Deacon Frank Owens served as a special adviser to the group.

That evening, about 100 people gathered on the church property wearing face masks and following social distancing guidelines. There, they were called to reflect on any way they may have contributed to the sin of racism through a spiritual reflection that was an examination of conscience titled, “A Look at Myself in the Mirror.” The prayer service also included a Gospel reading, a pastoral reflection and music. The evening concluded with a healing Mass celebrated by Father Bozza.

Understanding the vital role the Catholic Church has in promoting Catholic social teaching and offering a path forward to racial justice, parishioners at St. Lawrence took an active role to begin the conversation on race.

“The people were very touched by the prayer service,” Deacon DeVizio said. “It opened their eyes of the beauty of the Catholic Church and how the Church appreciates and promotes social justice. Many were inspired to keep working on this mission.”

The Gospel reading from Luke was on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In a pastoral reflection from the USCCB, which was read at the prayer service, it stated, “Jesus’ parable calls us to our obligations as Christians, to be a good neighbor — the one who stops and helps the injured; the one who does not hesitate to accept the responsibility of healing. The signs of this time are asking us to wake up to stand up and to speak up when we see racism. This is how we love our neighbor as ourselves. This is how we act like Jesus.”

The USCCB provides several resource materials for leaders and individuals to influence their communities for all ages from young children to adults to pray, listen, study, reflect and respond on the issue of racism. There are many prayers on the U.S. bishops’ website focused on racism, including a Stations of the Cross with each station sharing a specific issue related to racism. In addition, the faithful can find suggested Scripture readings for reflection and questions.

The prayer service hosted by St. Lawrence Parish was one of the community’s first steps in efforts to bring racial healing.

“This group of dedicated faith-filled parishioners is looking to future plans and intends for this to become a standing ministry in our parish,” Father Bozza said. “There will be future events and engagement for adults as well as the youth of our parish through faith formation and youth ministry.”

The USCCB also offers background information related to racism, which includes economic inequality, education, and employment. This information helps the faithful understand the relationship between racial and economic justice. This can be found on PovertyUSA.org, an initiative with the USCCB, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Develop­ment to empower low-income people, families and communities. Communities can act together by committing to practical changes in ways the community practices hospitality, cultivates leaders and celebrates cultural traditions.

“Racial equality fits well with the character and mission of our Church,” Deacon DeVizio said. “We are a Church with a significant Hispanic population as well and working toward equality for all is a continuation of that outreach.”

“We are proud of our families and their efforts to do something positive from a Catholic perspective. We are blessed to have an active faith community that seeks to always serve God and others,” said Father Bozza.