As the Catholic Church is clear on the sinfulness of racism, the Church is gradually awakening to the many ways it has promoted slavery, segregation, and racism throughout its own history. Women religious are also beginning to address their own personal and institutional complicity in racism. Acknowledging the history of racism and our participation in it as individuals and as members of groups; discovering ways that we can act to rectify it; and inviting others to this dialogue, is the work of dismantling racism.
We are guided in this work by the vision of You Are Sent, the constitution of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, especially GD 33: “We call ourselves to embody Gospel values and to live the social teachings of the Church. Working toward the enablement of persons and the promotion of human dignity, we contribute to positive systemic change in society.”
We invite you to join us in the work of dismantling racism.
On September 30, people across North America marked Orange Shirt Day, a grassroots movement started in 2013 to remember indigenous children forced to leave their families in September and attend residential schools.
Racism is racial prejudice, hatred or discrimination involving one group having the power to carry out systemic discrimination through the institutional policies and practices of the society which are shaped by cultural beliefs and values that support racist policies and practices.
