Putting God’s Love for all Into Action

RESPONDING BY TAKING STEPS TO PUT GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL INTO ACTION

BY KIM MCMILLAN, DIRECTOR OF YOUTH MINISTRY

As a response to the death of George Floyd and the tension and awareness about racism his death illuminated, our parish held an evening of prayer and reflection. During the prayer service we were invited to look into our own hearts to eradicate our own racist ideas. After each person spent time looking into their own heart about where the sin of racism might be present, as a community of faith, we began conversations on Zoom. Each person in the Zoom meetings was invited to listen, empathize and become aware of the inconsistency in the treatment of people of color and called it what it is: racism. Then, St Benedict Parish began an anti-racism ministry whose mission is to help each person recognize their ability to change the culture and create Pathways Toward Peace.

During the initial prayer service, Collins Hunter offered thoughts about our value as people of God and led a prayer and reflection to begin our journey toward recognizing the sin of racism within ourselves. Using the Bishops’ document about racism: Open Wide our Hearts, The Enduring Call to Love, we began a journey to become better people. As we read the document together we grew in understanding and began to recognize that we could not just accept racism as a part of our culture, anymore.

The group continues to meet via Zoom twice a month. During the conversations we try to listen to each other with empathy and compassion with a desire to grow in knowledge and understanding about racism and its many forms. We have learned much about history, complacency, Saints, inclusion and subliminal racist behavior.

As an offshoot of the Pathways toward Peace conversations a group of parents was moved to help other parents and families understand about racism, its presence in our world and its many forms. With the desire to empower parents with the tools to combat racist ideals, the Black Lives Matter: Family Rally for Racial Justice moved from an idea to a reality.

MAY 16, 2020

When planning began for the 2020 Gala, we were excited to be returning to the beautiful space at Rockwell on the River. But that was not to be during the pandemic and we knew the event had to move forward in some capacity. We had 3 weeks to plan, coordinate and pull off something that St. Ben’s had never done before - a virtual Gala. Thank you goes to all those that donated to both the silent and live auction, purchased tickets and supported our teachers through teacher tickets...your generosity truly made a difference. We had far fewer auction items to offer this year as a result of the pandemic and ticket sales were able to bridge that gap.

On September 19th, St Benedict Parish held a rally for families and parishioners to stand together in solidarity against racism. Black Lives Matter: Family Rally for Racial Justice was a spirit filled afternoon that started in the St Benedict courtyard and finished on Irving Park Rd, in front of St Benedict Church.

Parents Shalita Ativie and Mia Boayue from St.Benedict School organized and began the Rally. Shalita Ativie was the MC and welcomed everyone by beginning our event with the beautiful singing of My Country Tis of Thee. Mia Boayue shared how the invitation to participate in the Pathways to Peace conversations led her to contribute her experiences and insights to help our community grow. Fr. Steve led us in prayer and we reflected on the importance of faith and action (James 2:14-24). Both of these are necessary pieces in our discipleship. Alderman Matt Martin spoke to us about the importance of everyone’s contribution in our neighborhood. Ms. Gemo shared from “A Kid’s Book about Racism” by Jelani Memory, and led us in a few cheers. Families chalked messages of affirmation in the courtyard and then we moved in front of the church on Irving Park.

During these same few months some of our high school students also felt drawn to work toward being more intentionally inclusive of people whose lives may put them on the margins of society. As of this time, these high school students have been working to raise awareness and inclusivity for people with disabilities, people of color, women’s rights, and people who suffer from mental illness. If you are a follower of St. Benedict’s Catholic Youth Ministry Instagram account, you have seen their influence in our story. You can take a look yourself on Instagram @stbencym. There are more areas that they are planning to highlight, so be on the lookout for their Inclusivity Mission. All high school aged students are invited to be a part of this ministry. Please email kmcmillan@stbenedict.com if you need more information.

The sins of racism and intentional exclusion must be acknowledged and we are each called to take steps to recognize its presence in our lives. When we begin to see the systemic nature of these sins we can help each other become better at eliminating this injustice in our world. Let us continue to pray that all God’s creation is valued and treated with dignity as we people of faith take action.

The teachers also did a fabulous job with reinventing their treats to be Covid safe and marketing them with videos! Thank you also to all of our sponsors, without whom the evening would not have been possible. Finally, none of this would have been possible without the time and energy of our committee. Thank you all for your tireless commitment to a great cause! What a great evening May 16, 2020 turned out to be, and we are so thankful and blessed to be part of such an amazing community! Our goal for the Gala this year was to raise $150,000 for the operating budget and $30,000 for Fund A Need. We knew these goals were lofty especially in light of the hurdle not being in person presented, but we did it! The Virtual Gala 2020 raised $225,000 net of expenses and our contribution to the Build Our Future Fund. Specifically, $160k for the operating budget and $65k for Fund A Need for Tuition Assistance.