June 19th, 2020
Juneteenth
Juneteenth
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Holy Family,
I write to you today in solidarity with our African American sisters and brothers as we celebrate Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when the last remaining slaves in Texas were freed, 2 ½ years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
In my letter last week addressing Holy Family’s response to racial injustice, I promised to send you additional resources and ways to become engaged in the ongoing national dialogue about race.
Introduction to “Racism in America: What is Mine to Do?”— beginning Thursday, July 9th at 7 p.m. via Zoom
During the spring, we actively encouraged you to sign up for the workshop here at Holy Family entitled, ‘Racism in America: What Is Mine To Do’ created by the InwardBound Center. It was cancelled due to the pandemic, but good news: it’s now converted to six 2–hour sessions beginning in August. Registration for this full length Zoom workshop will begin soon.
In the meantime, get a powerful glimpse of the program’s impact by signing up for a 1 1/2 hour Introduction. The program series is highly interactive, and the introduction will be, too. Explore for yourself what’s possible, and what’s standing in the way, of you serving as a bridge in conversations on racism. Our agenda is not to look externally at the history of racism or current events. Instead, each person looks within to begin to imagine how you can make a difference. All Inward Bound programs feature two co-leaders, one a person of color and one white.
You can sign up for one of three dates on a Thursday at 7:00p.m.: July 9th, 16th and 23rd. Please contact Andrell Panconi at: 626-403-6107 or apanconi@holyfamily.org to register for one of these dates and for Zoom details. Space is limited so please register as soon as possible.
“Dignity and Justice: Welcoming the Stranger at Our Border” with Linda Dakin-Grimm on Wednesday, July 8th and Wednesday, July 15th at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Join us for a two–night conversation with Linda Dakin-Grimm, lawyer and immigration advocate. Combining powerful storytelling, thoughtful analysis, and interactive discussion, Linda will lead us to consider how we are called as Catholics to recognize the dignity of the stranger at our border. She will share insights into the intersection of Catholic social teaching, immigration law and the effects of prejudice, poverty, crime, violence and war.
On a pro bono basis, Linda has represented more than 75 unaccompanied children and families who must navigate the U.S. immigration system and adjust to life in Los Angeles. A senior consulting partner at Milbank LLP, Linda received her BA from Yale, her JD from Harvard Law and a masters in Theology from LMU. Linda and her husband are parishioners at American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach. Her first book, “Dignity and Justice: Welcoming the Stranger at Our Border,” will be published by Orbis Press in September 2020. For Linda’s full bio, please click here.
To register for the event, please click here.
To register for the event, please click here.
Prayer Resources from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Perspectives from Catholic Media
These are some insightful and thought-provoking responses to racism and what has been happening these past weeks, through a Catholic lens:
• The Assumptions of White Privilege and What We Can Do About It, Fr. Bryan Massingale, S.J., in National Catholic Reporter
• To Fight Racism, Catholics Must Hunger for Justice Like We Do for the Eucharist, the Editors, America: Jesuit Review
• Racial Justice in the Catholic Church by Bryan Massingale, S.J.
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson
• The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
Recommended Books for Children (available for purchase at the Holy Family Bookstore, 626-403-6133)
• Accept and Value Each Person by Cheri J. Meiners, M.Ed.
• Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly
• Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin
• The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates
Other Resources
“Talking About Race” is a powerful new web portal created by the National Museum of African American History and Culture which provides digital tools, online exercises, video instructions, scholarly articles, and more than 100 multimedia resources tailored for educators, parents, and caregivers, as well as individuals committed to racial equality. In releasing this resource, the Museum hopes to help individuals and communities foster constructive dialogues on one of the nation’s most challenging issues: racism, and its corrosive impact.
As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions for how we might best engage in the process of peaceful prayer, dialogue and understanding. You can reach me at: ctortorelli@holyfamily.org or at: 626-403-6110.
We ask our loving God to grant us the courage to enter into conversation and dialogue about racism. We ask the Holy Spirit for the wisdom and grace to recognize how we might need to shift our perspectives and attitudes. On the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we ask Christ to fill our hearts with His love as we build a just, peaceful and loving society.
Yours in the peace of Christ,
Cambria Tortorelli
Parish Life Director
Parish Life Director