The Catholic Charities Archdiocese of St. Louis presented “Ministry of Presence in the Face of Systemic Racism: Responding to Ferguson” September 12 at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Webster Groves.
Ralph McCloud, national director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, addressed issues of poverty and how the CCHD can be used as a tool to address systemic racism during the policy breakfast. Moderator Monsignor Jack Schuler, director of mission integration at the Archdiocese of St. Louis, led the group in prayer before introducing McCloud.
“Help us to understand how to dismantle racism so that people might be together – in partner and with You,” Msgr. Shuler said. “We thank You for all those who have given so much time to bring people to a point of peace and reconciliation. And we praise You for bringing Ralph McCloud to St. Louis.”
McCloud has served as national director of the CCHD for six years. The CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, established after the riots of 1968 “when we were in a very polarized country,” McCloud said.
“It’s somewhat providential that we’re having this conversation now in terms of what has been happening here in the region – of the polarization of God’s people as we look at this very sad situation in Ferguson,” he added.
He traveled from Washington, D.C. to meet with Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, local parishes, community leaders, and Catholic Charities of St. Louis leadership and federation members, among others. Community leaders included Rev. Traci Blackmon, pastor at Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant, and Rev. Tommie Pierson, pastor at Greater St. Mark’s Missionary Baptist Church in Ferguson.
“McCloud met with these organizations in order to help us better understand the situation and begin thinking about ways to shape efforts accordingly,” said Gabe Jones, community relations specialist at the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
McCloud also met with CCHD-funded groups and prospective grant recipients. CCHD-funded groups are led by low-income people working to address the root causes of poverty and by participating in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities.
Jones said, “As part of such efforts, low-income people gain the ability to identify barriers, brainstorm solutions, and take action to change problematic structures and systems in their communities.”
At the breakfast, McCloud said he was grateful that the local archbishop has encouraged dialogue within the archdiocese on dismantling racism and hoped that the conversation could be linked to some sort of action.
“Racism, as the archbishop says, is a sin that divides the entire human family,” McCloud said.
Deacon Jim Murphy of St. Dominic Savio Parish in Affton said an issue has presented itself for “us white folks on the South Side.”
“We don’t go north of Delmar,” he said. “We don’t know anybody north of Delmar. Once you make a friend who lives in that community, it’s much harder to be disconnected.”
He said the reason is because many are too scared.
“I wanted to go to Ferguson,” Murphy said. “They said, ‘You can’t go to Ferguson, you’ll get shot.’ Well, at least I’ll be a martyr.”
Joshua Jones – son of Rev. Michael Jones of Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, where Brown’s funeral was held on August 25 – shared his “unique” experience as an African-American male and life-long Ferguson resident. Since Brown’s death, Joshua has been on the frontlines in Ferguson protesting along West Florissant Avenue. He has lent his voice on several panel discussions and said his peers have expressed a sense of hopelessness in terms of gaining any type of “upward mobility” because of their race. He said it is important to have “uncomfortable” conversations about racism.
“You have to be able to get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” he said.
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