Wake me up Lord, so that the evil of racism finds no home within me.
Keep watch over my heart Lord, and remove from me any barriers to your grace,
that may oppress and offend my brothers and sisters.
Fill my spirit Lord, so that I may give services of justice and peace.
Clear my mind Lord, and use it for your glory.
And finally, remind us Lord that you said, "blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God."
Amen.
A Prayer Service for Racial Healing in Our Land
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 3, 2020
Dear Visitation Families and Alumnae,
This week we celebrate and honor our 2020 graduates in the fifth grade, eighth grade and senior class as our academic year comes to a close. At the same time, my heart aches at the pain and crisis we are witnessing and living. We know and stand for the importance of human life and the dignity of all people and stand in solidarity with our students, faculty, staff and alums of color. We stand against racism, violence and injustice in all its forms.
It is our responsibility to acknowledge that there are harsh realities that must be confronted. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops states in a recent statement, "People of good conscience must never turn a blind eye when citizens are being deprived of their human dignity and even their lives. Indifference is not an option."
The tragic killing of George Floyd, once again, spotlights the racism and violence against our brothers and sisters of color. We mourn this senseless loss of life and know that now is not a time for silence. As a Salesian school committed to educating the whole person not for school, but for life; we are determined to enhance and strengthen our efforts to develop and preserve an environment which values diversity, embraces equity and works for justice. We acknowledge that we need to do more to confront racism in our school and in our world. To do otherwise would be contrary to our Salesian charism, our Catholic identity and our mission to provide a truly excellent education.
We are committed and determined to do better and stand stronger. These are hard times, but they are important and significant times. We communicated with our students last Friday and sent out a communication to our families on Saturday. We continue to offer spaces for students to gather, to reflect, to connect and to be heard. Within our faculty, staff and administration, we will continue to have these complex and necessary conversations, to listen and to more fully live out our charism.
Let us commit to effect real change. Let us listen and learn. Let us pray for justice in our world and for peace and healing in our hearts.
In peace,
Rene Gavic
Head of School