University Ministry will host a virtual Racial Justice Prayer Service on Friday, April 23, at 12:30 p.m. in the wake of the Derek Chauvin trial outcome and the work that continues to correct the persistent injustice of racism. All faiths are encouraged and welcome to join in this service, which will be livestreamed on the University Ministry YouTube channel.
We join the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Education System of the Americas to reflect on the Chauvin verdict:
We acknowledge the continual racial trauma, collective anxiety that impacts Black and Brown communities. We seek to respond with the compassion and intention that we are called to as Christians and as Sisters of Mercy. We keep vigil with our sisters, associates, staff members, and friends who carry the heavy burden of this moment in ways people of privilege cannot fathom. We must ALL ground ourselves in prayer and in presence as we live in this tension.
We join the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in their statement:
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) sees education as a powerful and necessary force for overcoming the legacy of slavery and the deep racism found in our social, political and economic structures, and culture. Today’s decision by the jury to convict Derek Chauvin for the 2020 murder of George Floyd reinforces our commitment to explore and address the roots of racism in our society. We continue to call upon our students, alumni, faculty and staff to take concrete steps to make a difference in our own institutions and in our nation.
Click here to join the Racial Justice Prayer Service.