Antiracism Task Force

We leverage Catholic social justice teachings and Ignatian spirituality practices to facilitate parishioners’ discernment of how they are being called by God to act in this space – to ultimately transition from “not racist” to antiracist “contemplatives in action” in the process.

The Task Force also performs similar activities against racism-adjacent issues – such as antisemitism, Islamophobia, nativism, and homophobia – to help facilitate parishioner efforts to counter all forms of hate.

Goals of the St. Ignatius Antiracism Awareness Task Force for 2022 include:

Consistently provide antiracist events and/or resources to parishioners to support continual discernment, as well as facilitating opportunities for parishioners to act upon their self-reflection;
Develop and maintain relationships between St. Ignatius and Black Catholic communities in Baltimore – to include actively and meaningfully supporting Black Catholic-led/focused projects in the city; and
Initiate similar activities tailored to increasing parishioner awareness and personal discernment of how to counter other forms of hate – such antisemitism, Islamophobia, nativism, and homophobia.

Contact

Kevin and Kendall Burdinski
Ministry Chairs

Meetings

TBD

Next Meeting/Event

Currently, there are no Black American saints. Representation matters!

The Antiracism Task Force fully supports the cause of the Pastorate of Histotic St. Francis Xavier, St. Ann, and St. Wenceslaus’ campaign for the canonization of six African American candidates for sainthood.

You can learn more about their campaign, and sign a change.org petition, with the following resources. If you would like a digital version of the letter to print and physically sign yourself, feel free to reach out to the Task Force for a copy!

Support The Canonization Of The Six African American Candidates for Sainthood!

A petition to Pope Francis seeking the canonization of six African American candidates for sainthood immediately.

These women may become the first African-American Catholic saints

An activist from Baltimore started a letter-writing campaign to Pope Francis in hope that he canonizes the first Black Catholic saints from the US.

Prayer for Beatification of Mother Mary Lange

Almighty and Eternal God, You granted Mother Lange extraordinary trust in Your providence. You endowed her with humility, courage, holiness and an extraordinary sense of service to the poor and the sick. You enabled her to found the Oblate Sisters of Providence and provided educational, social and spiritual ministry, especially to the African American community. Mother Lange’s love for all enabled her to see Christ in each person, and the pain of prejudice and racial hatred never blurred that vision.

Deign to raise her to the highest honors of the altar in order that, through her intercession, more souls may come to a deeper understanding and more fervent love of You.

Heavenly Father, glorify Your heart by also granting this favor (here mention your request), which we ask through the intercession of Your faithful servant, Mother Mary Lange. Amen.

Resources

The following are a series of external resources—drawn from Catholic and Jesuit organizations, as well as Catholics outside of St. Ignatius—to help develop your antiracism awareness.

Jesuit Order Antiracism Resources

Jesuit-developed antiracist projects or resources for personal antiracist growth.

Clergy Antiracism Perspectives

Resources for an understanding of Catholic clergy-derived viewpoints and teaching on antiracism.

Laity Antiracism Perspectives

Resources for developing an appreciation of Catholic POC laity perspectives and/or experiences with racism.

Parishioner Antiracism Self-Reflections

The following are a series of antiracist self-reflections that have been shared by St. Ignatius parishioners. You are welcome to read all of them, or hone in on the specific reflections of parishioners whose writings may be more relevant to your particular antiracist awareness development needs.

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

View this week’s issue of Parish: ‘the thought’

Status through Servanthood (Mark 10:42-45)

by Rev. Tim MacBride In our quest this week to understand the strange two-stage healing story in Mark 8:22-26, we’ve seen Peter and the disciples finally ‘get’ who Jesus is – sort of. He’s the Messiah, yet not the kind of Messiah they were expecting. While James and John were thinking

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

View this week’s issue of Parish: ‘The Thought’

“The Rich Young Ruler”: What Was It All About?

by Bob Yandian Mark 10 vs. 17 “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” This is the story of the rich young ruler who knelt before Jesus and asked this question. While this question may sound spiritual, it is actually ill-informed. A person doesn’t do

Parish: ‘The Thought’ – September 30, 2024

VIEW THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF PARISH: ‘THE THOUGHT’

Baptism ~ Mark 10:13-16, The Humility of Childhood

— Mark 10:13-16 I think that we can all agree that childhood is a precious time. It is a time of relative innocence. It is a time to be nurtured. It is a time of awe and wonder. In our best moments, we parents get to re-enter childhood. Kenny Loggins wrote a song about